Exclusive Planner/Client Relationship
When you sign up to work with Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC, you will be working exclusively with Debra B. Freedman, CFP®, CPA/PFS℠, CDFA™, firm founder and principal, at every stage of your planning engagement.
At Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC, the planner/client relationship is paramount, and everything from requesting and gathering your financial information…to reviewing and analyzing your data…to inputting that data into firm systems and state-of-the art planning software…to following up with questions and requests for clarification…to helping you formulate your short and long term financial goals…to developing and delivering strategies and recommendations to help you reach those goals…is viewed as an opportunity for “Debbie” to get to know you better as a client…and as a person.
Being involved in every phase of your planning enables Debbie to know you and your financial situation firsthand; to readily address your questions and concerns; to offer you personalized financial advice, education, and coaching; and to provide you with a consistency and continuity of service that greatly enhances the planning process.
Expertise and Experience
Debra B. Freedman is a highly educated, credentialed, and experienced planner who is active in the planning community. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®); a Certified Public Accountant and Personal Financial Specialist (CPA/PFS℠); and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA™), with specialized training in the fundamental, financial, and tax issues of divorce. (…more)
During her twelve years with a well-respected Miami wealth management firm, Debbie provided comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to a wide variety of clients. In her role as lead planner, Debbie counseled countless clients though major life transitions, including retirement, divorce, loss of a spouse, and job loss/career change.
Having herself experienced divorce and career changes, Debbie is acutely aware of the personal, social and financial challenges that are part of unanticipated life transitions. This firsthand knowledge enables her to bring valuable empathy and perspective…along with her financial expertise and experience…to clients going through the ups and downs of such life transitions. Debbie takes great care and satisfaction in helping her clients navigate through the challenges and uncertainties of life to a financially secure and fulfilling “new normal.”
Fiduciary and High Ethical Standards
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC holds itself to a fiduciary standard, which means the Firm will act in the utmost good faith, performing in a manner believed to be in the best interest of its clients. Firm services have been carefully and thoughtfully structured to provide you with independent, objective, unbiased financial advice.
As a Registered Investment Advisor with the State of Florida, Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC accepts the obligation not only to comply with applicable laws and regulations, but also to act in an ethical and professionally responsible manner in all professional services and activities.
Debra B. Freedman, CFP®, CPA/PFS℠, CDFA™ also adheres to strict codes of conduct and ethics governing each of her professional designations. Ethical principles that are embraced include: integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and diligence.
Hourly or Fixed Project Rate Fee Structure
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC is a fee-only firm that charges an hourly (currently $225.00/hour) or fixed project fee for its services. There are no required minimums, nor does the quality and level of planning services you receive depend on the value of your investable assets, income, or net worth. The Firm’s fee structure is fair, clear and transparent.
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC does not sell products, does not accept commissions, and neither accepts nor pays referral fees of any kind. The Firm does not manage investments on a continual basis and its fees are not tied to/based on the value of assets under management.
Planning-Focused Philosophy
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC is founded on the beliefs that having a well-thought-out financial plan in place and making informed financial decisions on a consistent basis will enable you to build a strong financial foundation and achieve your personal and financial goals. Focusing on the things that are controllable in your financial life (how much you spend and save, the level of risk you take in your investment portfolio, how long you work and how much you earn, the investment fees and costs you pay, etc.) is believed to be much more productive and predictive of financial success than over-reliance on and preoccupation with those things you cannot control (like disruptive world events, political stalemates, the market and investment returns). This planning-focused philosophy is reflected in the types of services Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC has chosen to provide. (…more)
With respect to investments, Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC offers investment consultation services which include: education relating to investment fundamentals; initial portfolio design and asset selection; evaluation of current investment strategies; and review of employee retirement plans, stock options, etc. Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC does not hold assets under management nor does it provide ongoing investment management services. This approach is consistent with the planning-focused philosophy of the Firm, and allows for objectivity and independence in recommending the most appropriate investment management solution for a client.
Today’s investor has access to a vast array of investment management options that offer asset diversification, portfolio rebalancing, and investment-related tax efficiencies at a significantly lower cost than traditional asset-under-management advisors charge. These options (including “fin-tech”/robo advisors, lifestyle funds, and target date funds, to name a few), when paired with quality, personalized, planning-focused services, can provide an appropriate, effective, and holistic financial solution for a majority of the investing public.
For those clients who require, prefer, and/or are willing and able to pay for the services of a more traditional assets-under-management approach, Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC can provide thoughtful referrals to appropriate, qualified, and well-respected third party investment managers. Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC neither accepts nor pays referral fees under any circumstances.
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC effectively addresses both the planning and investment aspects of your financial life, while emphasizing and encouraging informed decision-making for a better life.
Commitment to Financial Education and Literacy
The financial challenges faced by many people today…including unparalleled student debt, underfunded retirements, high levels of credit card debt, underwater mortgages, non-existent or underfunded emergency accounts, and lack of appropriate insurance coverages…can be attributed, at least in part, to an inadequate knowledge and understanding of fundamental financial principles.
Debra B. Freedman, CFP®, CPA/PFS℠, CDFA™ recognizes the importance of financial education and its role in creating better lives. She is passionately committed to providing financial education and promoting financial literacy. This commitment is reflected in the educational workshops offered by Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC and permeates every aspect of your client experience at the Firm.
When working with Debbie, you are always encouraged to ask questions and to seek explanations and answers that satisfy your desired level of interest. Debbie’s early training as a secondary school teacher and, more recently, her specialized training as a financial educator instructor, enable Debbie to take unfamiliar and complex financial concepts and present them in ways that engage you in meaningful learning. Whether you’re asking about how to read your brokerage statement or what the differences are between a stock and a bond or what the “uninsured motorist” coverage on your automobile insurance policy means, Debbie will provide you with answers you can understand and relate to. No question is considered too small or too basic or too insignificant to ask.
The more knowledge and understanding you have of financial fundamentals in general, and of your financial situation specifically, the more informed decisions you can make…and the better life you can live.
Debra B. Freedman Personal Financial Planning, LLC is committed to helping people make informed financial decisions for a better life!