One of the benefits of being an independent firm is the flexibility we have in choosing our investment management partners. There is no affiliation with a particular investment company which allows our advice to objective and unbiased. We believe that tempered risk, disciplined security selection, appropriate diversification, and a long-term focus serve our clients’ best interests. We advocate risk-managed diversification strategies which we believe help clients to achieve higher returns without taking on excessive risk.

Social Security benefits rarely provide enough income for individuals during their retirement years, and today few employers offer the traditional company pension plans that guarantee them a reliable income stream during retirement. What’s more, people are living longer so they must find more ways to fund those additional years of retirement. Proper planning for retirement is a complex task and should not be left to chance.

Many employees participating in their company’s employer-sponsored retirement plans are often overwhelmed by the number of choices offered. Knowing which funds to choose and how much money to invest in your choices is a difficult and confusing situation for many people. Claro Advisors takes a proactive approach to educating our clients about their plans and investments, and can work directly with you and your company-sponsored 401k or 403b retirement accounts. Using the tools in your employer’s plan, we will help you select an investment mix based on your goals and risk tolerance, refine contribution amounts, and allocate current and future balances to help you achieve your retirement goals.

Building your wealth is, of course, essential to reaching your financial goals. But protecting your wealth is just as essential and too-often neglected. Proper Insurance Planning can help preserve your wealth for you and your heirs. Many individuals have not done the proper planning, don’t have adequate coverage, and may not have designated beneficiaries correctly.

Whether you're paying tuition costs now or saving for a future goal, it's important to ensure that your education strategy is compatible with achieving your retirement income and related financial objectives. Tax considerations and retirement income needs must be weighed and evaluated before choosing a specific strategy. It's important to remember that while education expenses can be funded through borrowing, retirement expenses cannot. Since we're an independent firm, we're under no pressure to recommend proprietary education savings programs or investment products. Our only concern is which program best meets your needs.

Few people nearing retirement understand how important it is to make the right decisions regarding Social Security planning. Neglecting Social Security planning can put you at risk of running out of assets during your lifetime or significantly diminishing the inheritance for your heirs. At Claro, we build comprehensive financial plans that address Social Security benefits, helping to ensure that you have the income you need to meet your financial liabilities throughout retirement.

Cash Management is an essential element in Financial Planning, as it addresses two major issues: finding the funds necessary to fund your financial plan, and ensuring that your cash is used to meet your goals. In addition, organized planning forms the basis to effectively budget for special expenditures, such as a child's education, personal debt, and income taxes. An effective cash management plan will also help you choose the best way to meet both short-term spending needs and long-term financial goals.

Effective Estate Planning helps assure that the assets you’ve accumulated during life reach the people and purposes you’ve designated when you’re gone. With estate tax law constantly in flux, neglecting your estate plan could mean a significant portion of your assets get diminished through estate taxes. Claro Advisors will help you articulate your estate planning goals and we will work closely with your tax and legal advisors to ensure your financial plan reflects your estate planning needs.