A. We are an independent family owned and operated business. We believe this helps us bring a more personal touch that so many people truly desire. In some cases, we may also have the ability to bring better solutions to you, since we are not limited to a single provider of products and services, but can, figuratively speaking, take you to a “Financial Mall." We will also look at the overall picture, provide you with a comprehensive plan, and then help implement this plan at whatever pace you decide on. We are all about empowering our clients, helping them to grow their estate, and striving to better protect and distribute their assets in the most tax efficient manner.
A. Our staff’s credentials can be found in the
about us section of the website.
A. We are proud to be accredited members of the Kansas Better Business Bureau, as well as the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce. You can also go to
www.finra.org and the Kansas Insurance Commission to get further information about our representatives.
A. Absolutely! We always encourage everyone, at the very least, to get an honest, sincere second opinion. There are very few people we can’t help in some way, shape, or fashion. If we cannot help, we will be straight forward and tell you that! If you would like a second opinion,
contact us.
A. We typically serve those people who have as little as $100,000 and upwards of $20 million, or more, in investable assets. If you are interested in ways to potentially better protect your assets, help minimize your taxes, and be more prepared for the future as you work toward a more confident and comfortable retirement, then you may likely benefit from the services offered by Sage Financial, Inc.
A. At Sage Financial, Inc., we focus on your current financial situation, your hopes, your dreams, your goals, and the type of lifestyle that you want in retirement. We also address your fears and concerns. Basically, we spend a lot of time listening to you and getting to know you. We do our best to make this process very empowering and helpful for our clients.
After assessing the client’s financial wellness with regards to their needs, wants, and what they already have, we make a list of the areas where we believe we can create the most value for them. We discuss these areas together. Usually this list includes tax-reduction strategies, income preservation and distribution strategies, risk analysis, an independent objective portfolio analysis, estate planning, wealth and legacy accumulation, or any other financial service that might be required. Our goal is to provide direction and purpose as our clients work toward their financial dreams.
Some of the strategies we implement may require additional professionals, including an estate planning attorney or CPA, as discussed below in Question 8.
A. Money means different things to different people; therefore, the things that one person values are always unique to that person. The biggest value that we give to each and every person with which we meet is that we strive to understand them explicitly. Some people only want to have their basic income needs met. Other people want us to help plan for everything from a stable income to life insurance to extensive securities accounts with diversified holdings, where accounts may have different ownerships, such as separate Trusts for potential tax advantages, with various beneficiaries on each account. We also help coordinate with attorneys to put legal documents in place that will govern the client's assets after they have passed on. Ultimately, it is your money. Our job is to help you manage it so your money is directed toward accomplishing what you want it to do.
In addition to introducing clients to new investment strategies, we also create a lot of value for many clients by determining which tax efficient strategies and estate planning methods are in line with their investment and retirement program. The benefit to our clients is they now have the potential for “a well oiled, finely tuned, piece of financial machinery."
These are just a few of the major ways in which we can benefit our clients. Some of the needs and strategies listed above may require a team of professionals to make sure everything is done correctly, not to mention legally. These professionals are addressed in more detail in the next question.
A. We often meet with people who have a loosely knit team of advisors: a stock broker, a tax preparer, and an estate planning attorney. Often, they are trying to address all of these areas separately, which can impact the ability to achieve their retirement goals. The problem that may arise is that many of these professionals tend to work too independently of each other – meaning they don't necessarily coordinate with each other and, therefore, may not really understand the larger goal the client is trying to accomplish. Often this will impact their recommendations. They are not working as a cohesive team, and it is the client who pays the price.
We are networked extremely well with estate planning attorneys and CPAs. When we see the need to refer our client to a professional such as an estate planning attorney, we treat this professional as a crucial part of our financial team. The attorneys we work with are specialists in estate planning. We feel it is of the utmost importance that our clients are served by qualified professionals, since estate law is complex and constantly changing. All of our clients receive a complimentary first meeting with the professional at our office, and preferred pricing if they implement the recommendations.
In summary, we are able to recognize when our clients need the assistance of other professionals to help us ensure that their needs or concerns are not overlooked. It’s like we act as a "quarterback" – we verify that all of the players are performing their assignments. We then coordinate everything to help ensure that "the ball never gets dropped," so our clients have that greater level of confidence and comfort that they desire.
A. We may charge a one-time, up-front fee based on the complexity level required to develop a retirement plan that addresses each client’s specific situation. Occasionally, as we are getting to know new clients, we allow the client to “kick the tires” on us to see what recommendations we have for them. If they decide not to work with us but like our recommendations, they can take the plan and implement it somewhere else. The fee is to compensate the individual who prepared the plan for the work that they have done. In less complex situations, we may waive the fee at our discretion.
A. We receive compensation from different sources depending on the type of transaction and according to the rules and regulations of our industry. They can be categorized into three basic categories: fees paid directly to us from the client, asset based fees from assets under management, and sales commissions from the investment or insurance company where we place business. A fee paid directly to us from the client is discussed in the previous question. Asset based fees come from securities accounts when we are managing the investment. We receive a commission when we place our client’s money with an annuity company or a life insurance company. The commission comes from the investment company as part of their cost of doing business and is built into each individual contract; accordingly, the commission is not charged to the client as a separate fee. Please be assured that all details concerning fees will be disclosed and discussed with a client before any financial decisions will be made.
A. Communication is crucial! People want and need to hear from their financial planner. They need to be kept current and reminded about things that could affect their retirement. We meet with each of our clients on a quarterly to annual basis depending on their needs and preference. We’ve noticed that we tend to meet with widows and widowers more often. We always encourage them to involve and bring their children to these review appointments if possible. In this meeting we review their investments, the market, their present situation, and anything else that is relevant to their retirement. We want to know they are comfortable with what’s happening with their investments or discover if we need to make changes for any reason.
We send out a monthly newsletter. It’s called “Fascinating Financial Facts,” and we get a lot of compliments on it – so we know people do read it and enjoy the interesting material.
We have an audio library full of topics of interest to clients or anyone looking for addition information on various products and current financial issues such as Long Term Care strategies, investment strategies, IRA pitfalls, and others. We are constantly adding to this library, and it helps us to continually educate our clients in areas of interest or concern.
We also hold "Continuing Retirement Education Meetings" with our clients and their friends. These may include a guest speaker on a variety of different topics that are a part of being retired, but outside the field of financial planning, or one of our advisers speaking on updates to financial tools that many of our clients use.
We feel that open, two-way communication is very important to any relationship. We encourage our clients to call us anytime something in their lives changes, or if they just have questions about their accounts. We believe it is our responsibility to be available and responsive.
A. We conduct live, educational seminars on a regular basis. We find it is an easy, non-threatening way of introducing ourselves to you. It’s also fun to enjoy a nice meal along with an experienced, knowledgeable speaker providing important and timely information.
One of the key benefits is the free "Financial Wellness Check-up" offer which provides a great way to obtain a personalized second opinion when it comes to planning for your retirement. To register for one of our highly informative and educational seminars, please visit our seminar registration page.
A. When you refer a friend to Sage Financial, Inc. you will discover they can often benefit in some way, such as increasing their potential for a more comfortable retirement or improvement in their quality of life. Please refer your friend using the "Tell a Friend" feature located on the right hand side of this page.
A. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help your financial situation, taking positive steps towards retirement planning, or if you just want a second opinion, please call us at (913) 441-8380. We will schedule you for a free one-hour “Financial Wellness Checkup Meeting” and/or reserve a place for you at one of our upcoming live educational seminars.
We will not put any time limit or reduction on this free offer. But, we should point out that one of the biggest reasons that people fail to achieve their retirement goals is due to procrastination. If anything you see at this site has hit a nerve, or sparked a concern, we encourage you to act now and call us at (913) 441-8380. As I always say, “Please Do Not Let Procrastination and Fear of Change Become Your Worst Enemy!”.
A. We are located at 22113 W 83rd St, Shawnee, KS 66227. We are ½ mile East of K-7 on the South side of 83rd St. Please see the
Contact Us page for a map.
Frequently Asked Questions 
