CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT
With the First Step Cash Management System™ you will be able to take command of your cash flow. By focusing on the system and not your income, you will gain a better understanding of how your money is being spent. Our goal is to help you outline a cash flow system that we believe will help you reach the financial control you desire. The first step is to understand what it is you want. Do you want to save more for retirement? Are you trying to fund your kids' college? This decision will be critical as it will set the ground work on which you will base your cash flow system.
We will have three meetings during this process. During the first meeting we will gather all the data needed to set you up. Think, not so much about your 30-day spending, but rather focus on the random things you pay no attention to like the coffee from Starbucks, medicine for your pet, or dry cleaning. Once we have gathered your real income and real expenses, then we will find the best ways to meet your goals. Our second meeting will occur about a month later. During this meeting you can add any expenses you might have missed or correct any amounts that might be off. The beauty about the First Step Cash System™ is that you can make changes in real time, see how they affect your Cash Flow, make corrections on the spot, and create numerous scenarios that will help you make more accurate decisions going forward. The last meeting will be a follow up to ensure everything is working.
Pricing structure is very upfront: $25 a month. A one-time fee of $500 for couples and $300 for individuals is assessed. This will entitle you to three meetings to get your cash flow system set up. We will, of course, be available for any questions to ensure that you are comfortable with your new system. Your one-time fee will also include access to our monthly cash flow seminars.
First Step System
| One-time Fee | Monthly Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Couples | $500 | $25 |
| Singles | $300 | $25 |
We view our cash flow seminars as continuing education for our cash flow clients, as well as our financial planning or 401k clients. Our seminars will offer a wide range of topics and will be held once a month on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Please click the link below for our full seminar schedule and topic list.
Seminar Topics
Cash Flow - Debt - 529's - Estate Planning - Retirement - Emergency Fund - Insurance - Home Ownership
Your Three Buckets
With the first step system, all spending falls into one of three buckets. These buckets represent the way you spend your money. The static bucket reflects your 30-day spending. These are monthly bills that are constant such as: your mortgage, utilities, car payments, cellphone, etc.
The second bucket is your Control Bucket. It is your discretionary bucket. This bucket depends on your decisions and covers, food, gas, beauty, entertainment, etc. This is the bucket that will fluctuate the most as these items change on a weekly basis.
The last bucket is your Dynamic Bucket. This is money you put aside for items you hope to buy in the future. This is generally your big money items. This bucket also holds your emergency fund to protect you from unexpected events.