Data Collection
Asset-Map® (Seeing the full picture)
Forecasting
Full Retirement Analysis (Stress-testing)
Strategy Development
Structure, Products, & Adaptive Strategies
Monitor & Adapt
One Central Location (Vault & RightCapital)
1. Acanto's Asset-Map® Discovery Session
We don’t just “organize” your finances into a single, complete view. Together, we build your family’s Asset-Map® as a crucial starting point to identify blind spots and gaps across your current financial situation. This confidential and complimentary diagnostic exercise provides the clarity needed to design strategies intended to help protect your family and achieve your financial goals.
The Asset-Map® typically takes about 15-30 minutes to complete securely online and is followed by an approximately one-hour video review session to discuss findings and potential next steps, when appropriate.
- See Where You Are: A clear, single-page view of your entire financial reality.
- Find the Gaps: Instantly spot missing protections, tax inefficiencies, and diversification gaps.
- Build the Structure: The foundation for a plan that goes beyond standard 60/40 allocation.
2. Comprehensive Retirement Analysis
For all new clients, we deliver a comprehensive retirement analysis package developed in conjunction with trusted CFP® professionals. We dig deeper into your current financial situation, designed to bring clarity to your entire financial world. From there, we produce a full retirement analysis to understand how vulnerable your current financial life may be to major events—from the loss of a family member to a severe market downturn. We provide a set of personalized, easy-to-read reports, stored in a secure online "Digital Vault" alongside any other critical documents you wish to upload, such as Wills, Trusts, and Estate documents. Utilizing your existing financial, tax, and PIA (Social Security benefit), we create a package that includes:
- Financial Overview
- Roth Conversion “Found Money” Analysis
- Color of Money Risk and Tax Analysis
- Secure Digital Vault for Key Documents
- Social Security Maximization Report
- Portfolio Review
- Asset Allocation Roadmap
We utilize a combination of strategies, including:
- Systematic ETFs
- Acanto's Dynamic Allocation Models
- Buffered ETFs and Structured Notes
- Comprehensive Retirement Report
- Sequence of Returns Risk Analysis
3. Fully Adaptive Financial Planning
For those who want the ultimate in Financial Clarity, we build a living, breathing financial plan using RightCapital's™ powerful software. Whether you need to model a stock vesting plan, RMDs, insurance cash values, real estate income, legacy optimization, or simply want to stress-test your financial future, this portal adapts as your life evolves. You can create detailed expenses, adjust return assumptions, completely optimize your financial future, and securely store critical documents, all in one place.
- Quarterly Reviews & Monitoring
- Estate Planning
- Insurance and Annuity Modeling
- Real Estate Income
- Tax Optimization
- Stock Option Vesting Projections
- Budgeting and Spending Analysis
- Lifetime Cash Flows Analysis
- Secure Online Vault for Critical Documents
- 24/7 Client Access to Model Changes and Edit Assumptions
- Linked Accounts Update Automatically
4. Downside Protection & Risk Management*
In a world of AI and rapid economic change, "buy and hold" isn't enough. We use modern tools to try to limit and reduce downside risk* and protect your retirement from emotional and financial damage.
We utilize a combination of strategies, including:
- Tactical Asset Allocation
- Buffered ETFs and Structured Notes
- Fixed Index Annuities with Income Riders
- Alternative Investments (Private Credit, Real Estate)
*Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
Clarity in Action: 3 Real Case Studies
Case Studies: Clarity in Action
Real stories of how we help clients navigate complexity to achieve their specific financial goals.
Client: 79-Year-Old Widow
The Challenge
A 79-year-old widow was terrified of running out of money. She had significant equity in her large home, but her expenses would have drained her IRA accounts in just 7 years, leaving her with only a state pension and no social security. Meanwhile, her daughter was actively looking for a home where they could both live together.
The Solution
We proposed a creative Sale-Leaseback strategy: a ~4+% loan to her daughter to purchase the home, rolling the proceeds into 3 separate annuities with Healthcare riders, liquidity and lifetime inflation protected income. The house transfers to the daughter's Asset-Map®, removing it from Medicaid liability while keeping an 'income-producing' asset in the family.
The Outcome
Provided a clear roadmap to double her monthly income, protect her primary asset from long-term care costs, and solve the daughter's housing need. The family is now implementing this plan in stages, gaining the 'sleep at night' security they desperately needed.
Client: Family with Complex Needs
The Challenge
During a standard planning review, we uncovered a critical fact other advisors had missed: a stepson who had gone blind 5 years prior. The existing plan had no provisions for his long-term care or the family's specific tax situation, leaving them exposed to significant future liabilities and potential loss of government benefits.
The Solution
We established a Special Needs Disability Trust and executed a strategic Roth Conversion. This structure was designed to optimize taxes while ensuring the stepson's future care would not jeopardize the family's wealth, creating a sustainable financial framework for his lifetime needs.
The Outcome
Saved the family significant tax liability and created a secure, long-term safety net for the son, turning a potential financial crisis into a structured legacy. The family gained peace of mind knowing their son's future was secure without compromising their own retirement.
Client: Career-Transitioning Professional
The Challenge
A successful client with an aggressive investment profile suddenly lost their job. They needed to transition from 'accumulation mode' to 'preservation mode' without sacrificing their long-term growth potential or locking up all their liquidity, facing the dual threat of market volatility and income loss.
The Solution
Instead of a static 'buy and hold' approach, we utilized our Adaptive Investment Toolkit. We shifted gears to protect their capital while generating necessary liquidity, allowing them to navigate the career gap without stress and maintain their lifestyle during the transition.
The Outcome
Successfully bridged the income gap without raiding retirement accounts or suffering from market timing risks, proving that a financial plan must be as dynamic as life itself. The client emerged from the transition with their portfolio intact and ready for the next growth phase.
*Case studies are for illustrative purposes only and do not guarantee future results. Individual circumstances vary.