We’ll help you navigate each phase of life from retirement planning to your financial legacy.
There are many important phases of your financial life, beginning with your first savings account as a child and the sound financial education that goes with it. Northwest Bank is here to help you navigate all the stages that come along. In the Investment Management Group, our focus is on beginning when you are in those critical years after you’ve accumulated some savings and now need to be sure you have everything in line to begin considering when to retire. This period of time is one in which you can afford fewer mistakes and/or oversights when making investment decisions.
Phase 1: Accumulation As You Near Retirement
Accumulation planning is about intelligent investment management, and it involves creating a portfolio that reflects your cash flow behavior. Each investor has unique goals, and whether you are investing for retirement or another objective, we will create a customized portfolio to fit your personal financial situation. Our strategies have proven successful for hundreds of clients who consistently rate us as Outstanding.
Accumulation is a critical component of wealth management, and a sophisticated plan for your investments will be well-coordinated with your overall plans for taxation, retirement, insurance, estate, and business.
What we’ll do for you
During the wealth accumulation phase of your life, the Investment Management Group will help you through the goal setting process, guiding you on the path to your financial future. We’ll work with you to create a portfolio that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance. Then we will provide you with the strategies necessary to ensure success including advising on:
- Are my current savings habits going to accomplish my retirement goals?
- Which types of investment accounts should I contribute to based on my current and future tax situation?
- Maximizing the employer match in your retirement plan
- Should I be contributing and/or making conversions to a Roth IRA?
- How do I ensure my kids’ college savings plan is on track?
- Is additional life insurance something I should consider to ensure my family is provided for when I’m gone?
- Does my financial situation call for a long-term care insurance policy?
Phase 2: Preservation
Once you’ve reached retirement, you need to make sure your money lasts to meet the goals we set up in Phase 1. Wealth Preservation creates a different, but equally important set of strategies for managing your portfolio.
What we’ll do for you
At this point, we know your risk tolerances may change and we’ll work with you to adjust your portfolio to meet your current needs using the customer service approach and investment principles that have proven successful in our over 50 years of business. We’ll also help you reinvest the money you’ve put away in your workplace retirement account to ensure it’s working most effectively with the rest of your portfolio. Then we will advise you on the strategies that can help ensure success including:
- How do I ensure my 401(k) Plan is managed in the most appropriate manner now that I’m retired?
- When should I begin to receive social security? Are there unique strategies that I need to consider?
- What impact will Required Minimum Distribution have on my retirement accounts as I progress through my retirement years? How do I use the IRS mandated tables to calculate my RMD each year?
- What is a reasonable amount I could withdraw from my retirement savings each year? I don’t want to outlive my retirement savings.
- Understanding the financial legacy you wish to leave others
- What is the most effective, and tax efficient strategy I should consider when naming the beneficiaries of my IRAs?
- Partnering with your accountant to provide cohesive tax planning strategies.
Phase 3: Complete Financial Management
Many people reach a point in life where they no longer wish to manage their own day to financial needs, whether it be out of convenience, or necessity. As a full-service trust department, we can step in and take care of the day to day needs, all while ensuring your best interest is always first consideration.
What we’ll do for you
In addition to continuing to manage your portfolio to meet your changing needs, we can assist with our complete suite of services.
- Bill paying and cash management. Whether reoccurring monthly bills or a one-off transaction. We can satisfy every conceivable bill and categorize each invoice in a manner that will allow your accountant the ease of utilizing our year-end tax ledger, which includes a complete summary of deductible transactions.
- Annual tax return preparation. Our year-end tax ledgers have proven to contain all of the applicable data your accountant will need however we are always available to work with your accountant directly to address any questions.
- Detailed recordkeeping of transactions to ensure you stay well informed. Would you prefer that we keep your family and/or other members of your financial team informed? We can provide a secure internet portal that contains up-to-date balance and transaction history as well as detailed statements that can be customized to the delivery method and frequency that you choose
- Home management. Whether you need us to ensure your home is maintained during the winter months, while you enjoy a warm climate, or you need more consistent yearlong services. Our team can develop a plan that meets your needs.
- Farm management. When it comes time to renew the cash rent agreement with your farmland tenants or it is time to determine if more involved strategy should be developed to ensure you’re maximizing the income potential of your farmland. Our team will work with you to determine the best approach each year.
Phase 4: Your Financial Legacy
Leaving a meaningful financial legacy involves careful planning about how you want to provide for your family and/or charitable organizations and then ensuring the plans are carried out. Northwest Bank & Trust Company’s Investment Management Group has been settling decedent’s estates for over 50 years. As a professional fiduciary, we know the ins and outs of estate administration and asset management. And we have the experience, knowledge, capabilities, and time necessary to handle any estate administration need.
What we’ll do for you
As experiences estate administration professionals, we will navigate the process of securing your assets and ensuring they are transferred as dictated by your trust or will. These services may include:
- Reviewing estate planning documents
- Identifying and securing tangible property
- Opening lines of communication with beneficiaries to obtain necessary information
- Filing necessary legal notifications
- Collecting asset information and values
- Determine if assets should be held or liquidated and manage liquidation as needed
- Prepare and present complete asset inventory
- Satisfy bills and discontinue services as necessary
- File all tax forms
- Prepare final accounting for beneficiaries and the Court
- Distribute all assets in accordance with the terms of the estate
Contact Our Team
Our highly qualified team of investment and trust professionals has over 150 years of financial management experience. If you are looking for a long-term financial partner that tailors investment services to your objectives, we invite you to contact anyone of our Investment Management Group team members.
Locations
Our Investment Management Team’s services are available at any of our locations.