UNDERSTANDING THE
Benchmark Process
A GUIDE FOR CLIENTS AND FAMILIES CONSIDERING BENCHMARK FINANCIAL ADVISORS
Most people approach retirement with a rough mental estimate — a sense of how much they've saved, a vague idea of what they'll need, and a hope that it all works out. The Benchmark Process is a defined, six-step method built to replace that guesswork with an actual plan: one that starts with your goals, not a product, and comes back around to revisit those goals every single year for as long as we work together.
Everything Revolves Around You. That's not a slogan — it's the literal structure of the process. Your family, your future, and your life sit at the center of the wheel, and every step exists to serve that center, not the other way around. The pages that follow walk through what each step involves.
A Process Built Around You, not a Product
Every client moves through the same six steps — reintroduced at every meeting, mapped to a concrete planning system that includes long-term modeling, stress-testing, and annual updates. It's a wheel, not a straight line: the sixth step feeds directly back into the first, every year, because your life doesn't stand still and neither should your plan.
1 DISCOVER
Every relationship starts here, and it starts with you — not with numbers, but with the actual life you're trying to build.
● Goals & Values
● Family & Lifestyle
● Assets & Cash Flow
● Risks & Opportunities
What this means for you: Before any recommendation, we take the time to genuinely understand what matters to you. This step resists the temptation to jump straight to products or portfolio allocations — that comes later, once we know what you're trying to accomplish, and why.
2 PRIORITIZE
Not every goal can be maximized at once. Retiring early, traveling extensively, leaving a larger inheritance, and maintaining maximum flexibility often involves real tradeoffs.
● Clarify Objectives
● Evaluate Tradeoffs
● Time Horizon
● Risk Tolerance
What does this mean for you: We help you think through those tradeoffs honestly and establish your actual risk tolerance and time horizons, not the generic version that applies to "someone your age," but the one that reflects your specific goals and comfort level.
3 DESIGN
With your goals clarified, this is where the plan takes shape — the strategy behind the paycheck you'll eventually rely on.
● Income Strategy
● Tax Strategy
● Investment Strategy
● Estate Coordination
What this means for you: We build how your retirement income will be assembled, how withdrawals and account types work together to manage what you owe over your lifetime (not just this year), how your portfolio should be structured for your specific timeline, and how your accounts and beneficiaries align with your broader estate wishes.
4 IMPLEMENT
A plan on paper doesn't do anything on its own. This is where it becomes real.
● Investment Management
● Account Transfers
● Roth Conversions
● Protection Planning
What this means for you: Accounts get transferred and consolidated where it makes sense, conversions happen when they're the right move, protection planning — insurance, long-term care strategy — gets put in place. This step often involves coordinating multiple institutions, and sometimes your CPA or estate attorney directly.
5 OPTIMIZE
A plan doesn't stay static once it's implemented. Markets move, and your portfolio needs active management to stay aligned with your goals.
● Rebalancing
● Tax Opportunities
● Income Adjustments
● Market Changes
What does this mean for you: We keep your investment mix where it should be as markets shift it, capture tax opportunities as they arise, adjust income as your needs evolve, and reposition your portfolio more offensively or defensively depending on where markets stand. This is ongoing work, not a one-time task.
6 REVIEW
At minimum once a year, we come back together for a full review — and then the wheel turns again, right back into Discover.
● Annual Strategy Session
● Family Changes
● Legislative Changes
● New Opportunities
What does this mean for you: Has anything in your family changed? Has legislation shifted the rules governing your accounts? This step is where the plan gets tested against reality and adjusted accordingly, because life next year won't be identical to your life today.
Fiduciary. Independent. Focused on You.
Three commitments sit underneath every step of the process, described plainly rather than buried in fine print:
● Fiduciary — We act in your best interest, always. Not "when convenient," not "for certain accounts." Always.
● Independent — Our advice is objective, and our fees are transparent. We don't sell proprietary products to hit a quota.
● Focused on You — Our success is measured by your confidence, not by assets under management alone.
More Than a Plan. A Commitment.
We put what you can expect from us in writing, because most people don't know when they'll hear from their advisor, or what exactly they're paying for. Our written Client Commitment includes:
● Annual plan updates — proactive, not only when you ask.
● Personalized meetings — a Fiduciary Meeting and a Strategy Session, twice a year at minimum.
● Accessible support — a real, live person answers your calls during business hours.
● A clear, straightforward fee structure — no buried costs
Schedule a free conversation with our team to walk through your specific goals, and how this process would apply to your retirement.
Call (855) 282-2023 or visit benchmarkfa.com to get started.
This guide is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, or legal advice and does not create an advisory relationship. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for individualized advice from a qualified professional familiar with your specific circumstances. Benchmark Financial Advisors -only registered investment adviser. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and all investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Benchmark Financial Advisors provides all investment advisory services through Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC (“Concurrent”), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Benchmark Financial Advisors and Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC are not affiliated companies.
YOUR FAMILY. YOUR FUTURE. YOUR LIFE.
The Only Benchmark That Matters