Financial Planning

Financial Planning for Life's Most Meaningful Moments

Creating a financial plan isn’t just about numbers, it’s about preparing for life’s most meaningful moments. At Trust Point, our financial professionals help you navigate decisions, stay on track, and move forward with confidence, so you can focus on what’s ahead. Let’s work together on a plan to simplify your wealth and secure your legacy.

Plan for Life

From life’s milestones to everyday decisions, your finances play a critical role. Trust Point partners with individuals and families to simplify complex financial choices and bring clarity to your long-term plan so you can focus on what matters most.

What is Financial Planning?

Successful financial planning includes taking a holistic approach at all components of your financial situation, establishing financial and non-financial goals, creating and following a customized plan, monitoring your progress and adjusting when needed. Building out a financial plan can be complicated and time-consuming to manage on your own, but partnering with a financial professional can ease the process. Our professionals are dedicated to helping you simplify and secure your wealth.

Our Financial Planning Process

At Trust Point, our financial planning process helps you simplify complex financial decisions and secure what matters most — with fiduciary guidance built around your goals, values, and life stages.

In this video, you’ll learn:
• What financial planning really includes
• How our step-by-step process works
• How coordinated planning brings clarity and confidence
• How our Emerj360 division supports emerging investors with planning foundations

Financial Planning Resources

We know creating a financial plan can sound overwhelming, but it’s an essential step towards achieving your financial goals. These resources and guidance from our experts will help bring you clarity.

Experts at the Wheel

Our financial services team includes an array of financial professionals including certified financial planning professionals, attorneys, Certified Public Accountants and more who are the industry standard in expertise and are held to an esteemed code of ethics.

Group photo of the Trust Point financial planners team

7 Step Process to Financial Planning

To customize a plan that fits your lifestyle and will achieve your goals, we use a seven-step process.

Step 1

Getting to know you

Step 2

Identifying and selecting goals

Step 3

Analyzing your current course of action

Step 4

Developing recommendations

Step 5

Presentation of recommendations

Step 6

Implementing the plan

Step 7

Monitoring progress and updating

Optimize Your Tax and Investment Strategies

From charitable giving and tax-loss harvesting, to choosing a retirement planning vehicle that will work best for you, there are several strategies that can help you achieve tax-efficiencies. Our experienced professionals will work with you to create a customized plan to help you reach your specific goals.

Testimonials

It’s an honor to hear from our clients on the experiences they’ve had while working with Trust Point or our Emerj360 division. We’re happy to hear that these clients had such a great experience with Trust Point’s financial planning services!

“These sort of value-added services [financial planning] make us even happier to be clients of Trust Point. We’ve referred a number of friends and family to you, and plan to continue to do so.” – Trust Point Minneapolis client

“Thank you Brenna so much for our meeting. I enjoyed you and appreciated your answers to my questions and making me feel a bit more at ease in my retirement!” – Mary

“We truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve invested in creating our personalized financial plan. It’s clear that a great deal of attention has gone into understanding our goals, and we are grateful for the guidance and insight you’ve provided. We truly value your expertise and look forward to staying in touch to ensure our plan stays aligned with our goals.” – Kristen

Locations

La Crosse, WI

Minneapolis, MN

Eau Claire, WI

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Financial Planning FAQs

What is included in a financial plan?

When you work with Trust Point’s financial planning professionals, you will go through a comprehensive seven-step financial planning process. Our team guides you through the entire journey, from discussing your expectations, concerns, and long-term goals to presenting recommendations and helping implement your plan. Along the way, we evaluate key areas of your financial life, including retirement income, investment strategies, tax considerations, estate planning, risk management, and cash flow.
After completing the financial planning process, you will receive a personalized financial roadmap designed around your unique goals and circumstances. This includes projections for how your cash flow and retirement income could look over time, helping you make informed decisions with greater confidence.

Who is a good fit for Trust Point’s financial planning services?

Trust Point’s financial planning services are designed for individuals and families who are seeking a trusted partner to help them navigate retirement, simplify and secure their wealth, and plan for the future. Trust Point typically works with clients who have more than $1 million in investable assets and are looking for personalized guidance on retirement income, tax strategies, estate planning, investment management, and legacy planning.

For those with simpler financial needs or earlier in their wealth-building journey, Trust Point’s Emerj360 division is an excellent option for individuals and families with $50,000 or more in investable assets who are seeking accessible, goal-based financial planning. For ultra-high-net-worth families with $25 million or more in investable assets, Trust Point’s Family Office division provides a more comprehensive, highly customized approach that coordinates wealth management, trust services, tax planning, and multi-generational legacy strategies.

How does Trust Point’s fiduciary role affect the financial planning process?

Trust Point’s fiduciary responsibility guides every step of the financial planning process. As an independent trust company, we are committed to putting our clients’ best interests first and helping them make informed financial decisions.

Unlike some financial services providers, Trust Point does not earn commissions or share revenue from the investments we recommend. Instead, we use a transparent, tiered fee structure based on the size of your portfolio, helping to minimize conflicts of interest and keep the focus on your goals.

Want to learn more about what it means to work with a fiduciary? Watch our short video overview: What is a Fiduciary? Video Overview

How often should a financial plan be reviewed or updated?

Your financial plan should be reviewed at least once a year to help ensure it continues to reflect your goals, priorities, and changing financial situation. It’s also a good idea to update your plan whenever you experience a major life event, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, retirement, the sale of a business, an inheritance, or a significant change in income or health.

At Trust Point, financial planning is an ongoing process—not a one-time event. Regular reviews help keep your retirement, investment, tax, and legacy planning strategies aligned with your long-term goals.

What should I prepare before meeting with a financial planner?

Meeting with a planner is meant to help you figure your financial picture out. People don’t have to have it all figured out before they schedule a meeting with us!

Throughout the process, though, you will be asked to gather various financial information to help identify your current financial situation and align them with your goals. This includes various statements, retirement income information, insurance, current assets and liabilities, and more.

View our Financial Planning checklist for a more detailed, fillable checklist.

How does Trust Point coordinate financial planning with investment, tax, retirement, and estate planning strategies?

Investment, tax, retirement, and estate planning strategies are integrated in the financial planning process. We look at asset allocation, current and future cash flows, tax obligations and how to reduce those, and what estate tools are applicable to each client.

Does Trust Point provide financial planning services in La Crosse, Minneapolis, and Eau Claire?

Yes. Trust Point provides financial planning, wealth management, trust, and retirement planning services to individuals, families, and businesses in La Crosse and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota. While we serve clients across the country, we take pride in delivering the personalized, relationship-based service and local expertise that have been the foundation of Trust Point for generations.

Whether you’re planning for retirement, managing wealth, or creating a legacy for future generations, our team is here to help you navigate your financial journey with confidence.

Focused on the Future

We have over a century of experience guiding our clients to build and live their legacy. Our past can build your future. Our industry-leading experts will always give you research-based, impartial advice to achieve your goals.