Approach Financial Planning is an independent financial planning practice. I serve and meet with clients in Montrose, CO (currently phone and video meetings only). I work with clients in other areas through phone or secure video meetings. Regardless of your location, we can probably work together.
Important: Most of our discussions should be about you and the things it takes to make your life unfold the way you want. But you’re probably curious who you’ll be working with.
Meet Justin
Whether you’re saving for a goal or setting up a plan for your business, I want you to feel confident that you’re in good hands. I don’t know everything about everything, and I rarely wear a suit, but I have been doing this for a long time, and many of my clients have been working with me for over 10 years.
Justin Pritchard, CFP®, MBA, PPC®: I hold the following industry designations:
- Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), which requires extensive training, testing, and industry experience, as well as ongoing continuing education and ethics requirements. I took the exam back when it was on paper (over two grueling days), and roughly 51% of test-takers passed that year.
- Professional Plan Consultant (PPC®), for individuals committed to serving employer-sponsored retirement plans and promoting successful retirement outcomes for participants.
I have worked as the in-house financial advisor at community credit unions on the Front Range, and I’ve been “the 401k guy” helping employees use their workplace retirement plans. I’ve conducted countless group presentations, webinars, and one-on-one meetings, all of which have led to long-lasting relationships with clients.
About: I was born and raised in Denver, CO, and attended college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After college, I enjoyed a few years as a ski bum in Crested Butte, CO. I first entered the financial services industry in 1999, working for Charles Schwab & Co. Then I completed graduate school at the University of Colorado at Denver and joined a full-service financial advisory practice shortly after.
Justin Pritchard became a CFP® practitioner in 2010.
How We Work Together
Whether you want help with a business or your individual finances, we start with an informal discussion, typically at no cost. This is primarily for you to describe the topics you’d like help with. If I’m a good fit for your needs, I provide an overview of what I propose for your situation, and I tell you how much I will charge and how you pay. From there, it’s up to you.
I do not receive commissions, so you do not need to transfer assets in order to work with me. However, I can (and often do) handle investments. Billing falls into two general categories:
1. Hourly or flat fees: That option may be appealing if you:
- Only want financial planning advice, or you just have questions on a handful of topics
- Want to handle everything on your own after speaking with a professional
- Have assets that are unavailable or cost-prohibitive to move
- Want to get to know me better and prefer not to transfer accounts
2. Assets under management (AUM): This option allows you to hand off investment tasks:
- Determining appropriate investment strategies to help you work toward your goals
- Ongoing investment management
- Assistance with opening and managing accounts, typically with e-Signatures and electronic documents (unless your current providers don’t allow that)
At the beginning of a relationship, we typically meet or talk several times per month or quarter to get everything set up. Depending on the relationship, we might continue quarterly meetings indefinitely. Most investment clients only want annual reviews, with the ability to call me as-needed with questions or issues that arise in their lives (yes, you can do that).
Selected Media Mentions
I’ve been quoted in numerous places, including a few examples below.
- Consumer Reports: Money Moves to Survive a Coronavirus Recession
- Wall Street Journal (print and online): Buried in Student Debt? Here’s How to Play Catch-Up
- Huffington Post: Here’s How Much You Really Need To Save For Early Retirement
- MSN Money: 13 questions about investing that people ask the most
- Forbes: All The Ways Your Laziness Is Costing You
- New York Times: Tips for Paying Off Your Holiday Credit Card Debt
- US News and World Report: How to Get Your Portfolio Off to a Good Start for 2020
- Bankrate: Tax credits vs. tax deductions: What’s the difference?
- Money: A Beginner’s Guide to Weathering the Next Recession
- CNN: Changes Are Coming to Your Credit Score
- And many more
Can We Work Together if I Don’t Live in Colorado?
Yes! Most of my clients live outside of Montrose. If you’re comfortable working by phone, email, and secure virtual meetings, we can work together remotely. Please note that there may be limitations in certain states, and I need to follow any applicable regulations before signing an engagement with you. Just ask!
Let’s make a plan: Pick a time for a quick introductory call, or download some of my freebies to help you plan and invest.
How Much Do I Need to Invest With You?
I do not have an investment minimum. In fact, some people choose to hire me just for advice, and they never invest anything. Whether your money is locked away in inaccessible accounts, you have limited assets, or you prefer to handle investments yourself, we can still work together.
How Fancy Is Your Office?
For the past 15 years (or more), I’ve primarily worked at home, although I have an office in a beautiful building. It’s nothing fancy. I’ve found that most people want to meet in person once or twice—but we can certainly do more than that.
Perhaps most importantly, I run a digital practice that uses technology to minimize clutter, protect client information, and work with remote clients (and local clients who don’t want to find parking):
- All documents are stored in encrypted storage, and any sensitive file transfers go through a secure vault or password-protected encryption.
- Any paper documents go to a dedicated offsite mailbox for the business. I scan and shred documents upon receipt.
- Virtual meetings use end-to-end encryption to protect your information.
What Resources Do You Have Available?
I’m part of several professional groups, including the XY Planning Network and NAPFA. As a result, I have access to some of the best minds in financial planning and investment advice, and we constantly discuss industry topics. XYPN has roughly 1,000 members. Additionally, I’m part of several study groups where I can bounce ideas around with other skilled advisors.
I work with a paraplanner who helps make the magic happen behind the scenes. She is a skilled professional with over six years of financial planning experience, and she holds the CFP® designation. I originally met her at a conference, she has a clean regulatory and criminal background, and she’s good at what she does.
Continuing education is always important, and here are just a few examples of recent accomplishments:
Certified Financial Therapist-Level I™ Professional Designation (CFT-I™). I do not practice financial therapy, but I am happy to collaborate with your licensed mental health professional if all parties consent and are able to work under that arrangement. This designation comes from the Financial Therapy Association.
Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investing. A 5-module program from the US SIF (The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment) focusing on socially-responsible investing.
Morningstar ESG Foundations. A brief course featuring experts from Morningstar and Sustainalytics (a Morningstar subsidiary).
Get Started!
Ready to learn more? Call or send me an email to let me know what’s on your mind. We’ll discuss your needs and determine how to proceed.