What is Wealth Planning?

What better way to start the Your Financial Roadmap newsletter than to answer that very question?

Benjamin Franklin once said a version of “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” While this quote certainly has merit, I find wealth planning to align more with Dwight Eisenhower’s perspective: “plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”

At 5T, we believe the primary purpose of financial planning and wealth management is to align your personal and financial resources with your unique goals and objectives, using your wealth as a tool to support the life you want to live. We design integrated strategies that preserve, grow, and transfer wealth with purpose and peace of mind. It’s not about predicting the future with perfect accuracy, it’s about preparing thoughtfully for the possibilities ahead.

That’s often easier said than done, especially if your goals feel unclear or distant. Most people tend to be more worried about what they will be having for dinner tonight than what life will look like 15+ years from now. Ironically, you will probably forget about the meal you had 3 nights ago, but the decision to be intentional about your wealth can benefit you and your family for decades.

On more than one occasion, I’ve heard Paul say you can talk to ten different Advisors and get ten different financial plans. I agree, but that doesn’t mean one of those plans is the “right” plan and the other nine are doomed to fail. More than likely, assuming you are talking to a competent team, you will get ten mathematically sound plans. The art of wealth planning is finding the one plan that truly fits you.

So, what separates that one plan from the rest? It’s not just math, it’s the dialogue. The right plan emerges through thoughtful conversations, insightful questions, and a foundation of trust built over time. It’s shaped by understanding what truly matters most to you and your family, and how your beliefs and values direct your financial decisions. Numbers certainly guide us, but it’s the conversations that give those numbers meaning.

That’s true for the first plan, but it also holds true over time. After all, life rarely follows a straight path. Because life is unpredictable, even the best plans need to be flexible. Unforeseen changes come up all the time, both positive and negative. For example, we might have created a plan when someone was single, and now they’re getting married – adding another person, income, and potential family planning. On the other end of the spectrum, divorce could reduce household income and divide assets, almost always requiring an updated plan for both parties. Not to mention the ever-changing laws and regulations around taxes, estate, and retirement.

The reality of planning is that it is not a “set it and forget it” process. It’s a living document that should adapt as your life evolves, through career changes, new opportunities, family milestones, and the unexpected moments in between.

That said, every journey begins with a single step. We believe it’s important to start with a strong foundation and allow the plan to evolve with you. That is why we value and emphasize long-term relationships and an ongoing planning process, not a one-time transaction.

If you’re ready to start a wealth plan for you or your family, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re here for you whenever you are ready to take that first step.

All the best,

Colton Maher
Financial Planner and Advisor
5T Wealth, LLC
Main (707) 224-1340
Cell (707) 815-0843
Colton@5twealth.com

Disclosure and Disclaimer - Updated last on October 14, 2025:

CIO Insights is a proprietary newsletter written for clients, friends, and affiliates of 5T WEALTH, LLC (5T), which is an SEC registered investment advisor. Information presented is for educational purposes only. The information does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and are not guaranteed. 5T has reasonable belief that this letter does not include any false or material misleading statements or omissions of facts regarding services or investments. 5T has reasonable belief that the content as a whole will not cause an untrue or misleading implication regarding the adviser’s services, investments, or client experiences.

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