By Jeff Gilbert

A wide array of ideas might come to mind when you think about what a financial professional can help you with. Is it providing investment advice? Investment management? Financial advice? Financial planning? Wealth management? All of the above? 

There is a common belief that all these words are just synonyms for essentially the same thing, but that’s just not the case. Each of these services involve different processes and deliverables. 

In this guide, we discuss the difference between financial planning and investment management and what you can expect from working with Balboa Wealth Partners.

Financial Planning vs. Investment Management

According to the CFP Board, financial planning is a collaborative process that helps maximize a client’s potential for meeting life goals through financial advice that integrates relevant elements of the client’s personal and financial circumstances. Essentially, it’s a holistic process that looks at all parts of a client’s financial situation to create a customized plan to achieve their financial goals. It includes the following subject areas:

• Retirement planning
• Education planning
• Tax planning
• Investment planning
• Estate planning
• Risk management and insurance planning

Investment management, on the other hand, aims to meet particular investment goals for the benefit of clients whose money a financial professional has the responsibility of overseeing. It is a siloed service that does not necessarily incorporate the other aspects of a client’s unique financial situation. Financial planning usually includes investment management, but investment management does not automatically include financial planning.  

Our Financial Planning Process

What makes our financial planning process unique? With more than 40 asset management firms trading their proprietary strategies directly with the Balboa Wealth Partners team, these subadvisor relationships deliver a unique, tax-efficient portfolio strategy to our clients. This process eliminates costly layers of fees and delivers the portfolio strategies of some of the world’s preeminent asset managers.

We have the ability to solve a wide range of client challenges through our retirement income gap analysis and complex estate and succession planning. From simple cash flow planning and goal-based assessments to detailed tax analysis and estate planning, we have the experience to address your goals and objectives. Empowering you by integrating your planning results in real time, directly into the Balboa Client Portal, we tailor planning to you, modeling what-if scenarios, and stress-testing your current allocations and cash flow requirements.

Our Investment Management Process

The Balboa Wealth Partners investment management model delivers high-touch, responsive service, strategically paired with access to institutional-caliber investment guidance in a way that eliminates conflicts, reduces fees, and opens the doors to truly comprehensive planning.

Our clients receive sensible, effective advice, along with a firm commitment to collaborate with other professional advisors—offering a full array of wealth management and investment advisory services.

We stress-test scenarios incorporating a wide range of asset classes, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, closed-end funds, options, separately managed accounts, hedge funds, and non-traded REITs. We blend internally managed strategies with rigorously selected third-party managers, best-in-class third-party mutual funds, ETFs, hedge funds, and private equity managers to develop a comprehensive platform of customized investment strategies.

Are You Looking for Comprehensive Financial Planning?

We know the first step is always the hardest. If you are looking for comprehensive financial planning that includes strategic investment management, we’re here for you. 

At Balboa Wealth Partners, the needs of our clients come first. Our clients want a partner who values them and understands the importance of what they have built. Our advisors specialize in overseeing your financial affairs and coordinating the day-to-day execution of your long-term financial plans.

To set up an initial call, reach out to us, give me a call at 949-445-1465 or email me at [email protected]. To reach the Scottsdale office, call 480-801-5100 or email [email protected].

About Jeff

Jeff Gilbert is the founder and CEO of Balboa Wealth Partners, a holistic financial management firm dedicated to providing clients guidance today for tomorrow’s success. With over three decades of industry experience, he has worked as both an advisor and executive-level manager, partnering with and serving a diverse range of clients. Specializing in serving high- and ultra-high-net-worth families, Jeff aims to help clients achieve their short-term and long-term goals, worry less about their finances, and focus more on their life’s passions. Based in Orange County, Jeff works with clients throughout the entire country. To learn more, connect with Jeff on LinkedIn or email [email protected]. 

Advisory services provided by Balboa Wealth Partners, Inc., an Investment Advisor registered with the SEC. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Balboa Wealth Partners and its Investment Advisor Representatives are properly licensed or exempt from registration.

Securities offered through Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.

Balboa offers advisory services independent of Kingswood. Neither firm is affiliated.