The basic questions of financial planning

A large part of what I do these days is to try to convince people to give me an hour of their time to create a financial plan for them or give them some insight into where they're heading. As a newer consultant, I don't think that's abnormal, but I hate feeling as if I'm a salesman, so the challenge is to show people that my interest is in making a positive impact on their lives. Some of the ideas that I use to challenge people that I meet at trade shows, networking events or through direct marketing:

• If something were to happen to you, do you have the insurance coverage that you need in order to ensure that your family will be okay?
• Do you know how much you have to save each year in order to retire when you want, with the lifestyle that you want?
• Do you know what the financial impact of your passing will be, and how it will affect your surviving family members?
• Are there programs and investment options available to reduce your taxes in your later years that you simply aren't aware of?
• Do you know the effect of compound interest, and how you can build up substantial savings over time by putting aside even a few dollars each week?
• What is your investment strategy, and how does it specifically address your goals?

The area of financial planning is so vast that it's simply impossible to spend the time asking every reasonable question, but I think that these cover the most vital areas. If any of these questions trouble you, or make you think about your own situation, please send me a message.