One popular service we offer is creating a plan for customers using the Easy Financial Planner, instead of them only having choice to purchase and download the Easy Financial Planner, from the website, read the instructions and then create the plan themselves. So, I will create a plan for you, just as I once prepared tax returns for many customers in Sacramento, doing business as FABA Tax and Services, that included filing back taxes, business taxes and preparing personal financial statements, in support of their offer-in-compromise with IRS.
I will create a plan for you, but there is one catch, for your privacy and confidentiality. The catch is that I can or will prepare your plan in “Shadow Mode”. What this means is that, when you complete the Customer Profile, for amounts in each section of your plan (income, living expense, miscellaneous expense, account balances, and account payments, you will add or subtract a “Shadow Amount” of your choice, to disguise the true amounts. Once I return your plan, you remove the “Shadow amount”.
I realized some time ago, that tax preparation is a “back-end” financial task we all do or have done for us because it’s mandatory by IRS and state authorities. Because it is a “back-end” or year-end task, we are stuck with the results—we owe more or get a refund, neither really is good—and although it is mandatory by IRS and the state, a tax return does far less good for a person’s financial health than does the “front-end” activity that you create, control, manage and adjust as you go, as required by YOU. I’m talking about a financial plan. Many call it a budget, a budgetary, a personal financial plan, or other names.
There are misconceptions about a personal financial plan or budgets too, namely that it is something that is very difficult and takes advanced degrees to understand. Not! Really, it is only about adding and subtracting and getting a balance. But it includes how you arrange and associate and maintain the numbers. Before retiring from federal civil service, for over 20 years, I prepared numerous budgetary estimates for repairs, modifications, and manufacture of end items, then followed up with post analysis, to determine how budgeted amount compare to actual expenditures, and why any difference.
For years I applied my accounting education, industrial engineering training and experiences, not only to my job, but also to my personal finance—to avoid FOREVER–returning to “cotton field” conditions (being poor, short of money, etc.), even in the suburbs!
Another misconception is that only people with money need a budget or a plan. Again, Not! In fact, those with the least amount of money benefit most from a budget or plan. Those with adequate income benefits too, because they become more efficient with spending, saving, or investing their money, and perhaps become more disciplined with handling their money since they can see it on paper or in digital form.
One last note, as an ex-shipping, ex-material, ex-repair/mod, and ex-manufacturing engineering planner the one thing I know about planning is the timing can be everything. Because most individual’s fiscal year is the calendar year (Jan-Dec), Easy Financial Planning with the Easy Financial Planner, the best planning time is between October 1 and December 31. So, on January 1st, the following year, you will be ready, to begin, managing your income, expenses, assets, and liabilities.
You are welcome to call or email with any questions. I’ll be happy to address any aspects of the program. Our office hours are 10:00AM – 6:00PM MST, Monday – Friday.
Thanks for Your Time
FaraJi GoreDenna
Pick-N-Time, LLC
Owner and Developer