Financial Planning

Successfully growing your wealth requires a carefully crafted financial plan that’s tailored to
you and your goals. Deciding where to put your money, how much risk you’re willing to
assume, how the market performs, and what you want to achieve in the short and long term
will determine the investment approach that makes the most sense for you.
Successfully growing your wealth requires a carefully crafted financial plan that’s tailored to you and your goals. Deciding where to put your money, how much risk you’re willing to assume, how the market performs, and what you want to achieve in the short and long term will determine the investment approach that makes the most sense for you.

Investment Planning

Investing isn’t a one-dimensional process that seeks to find the “best” assets. It’s a constant analysis of what’s providing consistent returns and posing acceptable risks while anticipating the impact that market factors might have on your short- and long-term goals. By allocating your investments across several asset classes, you can leverage more opportunities for growth without taking on unnecessary risks.
No investment strategy can guarantee returns or mitigate loss, but having an experienced team of financial advisors who can track your portfolio and advise in your best interest can help you make smart, well-informed decisions with your money.
Team working in office

What to consider when evaluating an investment

No two investments—or investors—are the same. But there are some basic risk factors to consider with every investment opportunity:

  • Market risk: the possibility that an investment’s value could decrease due to fluctuations in the overall market or economy.
  • Inflation risk: the possibility that an asset’s purchasing power will drop as a result of inflation.
  • Interest rate risk: the potential decline in invested assets due to changes in market interest rates.
  • Business risk: the risk a company (and a common stockholder) takes when involved in a specific industry or market.
  • Liquidity risk: the risk the investor faces if they’re unable to sell an asset quickly without significant concessions in the desired price.
Woman enjoying life on a boat

Retirement Planning

Reaching retirement on your terms and being able to enjoy the life you’ve built for yourself is an ongoing process that looks different for everyone. Your current financial situation and your post-retirement needs and plans will determine which strategies can help you be successful today, tomorrow, and every day after.

What to consider when planning your retirement

Retirement planning starts long before—and continues well after—the day you leave the workforce. By asking the right questions upfront, and being prepared to adjust your plans along the way, you’ll be in a better position to navigate the journey toward retirement.

  • At what age do you want to retire?
  • How much do you currently contribute to your retirement plans?
  • How effective is your current retirement plan’s asset allocation model?
  • Have you employed any long-term tax planning strategies to manage your tax impact after retirement?
  • How much monthly income will you need in retirement?
  • Will you have any financial dependents (children, parents, etc.) in retirement?
  • What legacy do you want to pass on to your loved ones?

Education Planning

You want your kids and grandkids to have access to the education they need without falling into debt from student loans before they even enter the workforce. With the proper allocation of assets, long-term tax planning, and estate or generation-skipping planning, you can start an education fund that eases the stress on your loved ones and allows them to focus on learning.
Father & son talking

What to consider when creating an education fund

The cost of higher education continues to grow—and with higher annual increases for private colleges compared to public colleges. By regularly reviewing your family’s education and funding needs, we can identify the savings plans and programs that make the most sense for you.

  • Do you or your children/grandchildren have a specific college or area of study in mind?
  • Have you met with a financial advisor to review your education plan? If so, how often?
  • How much could a four-year college education cost when your children/grandchildren are ready?
  • What savings and investment programs do you currently have in place to provide for those future dollars?
  • Which rate of inflation have you factored in to your savings and investment plan?
  • Have you made funding for higher education a part of your estate planning process?

Financial planning provided by Steve Schulte & Melissa Short

Financial planning and wealth management services are provided by Steve Schulte and Melissa Short, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services LLC. For more information, visit https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/steve.schulte or https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/melissa.short/.
Ameriprise Financial and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding specific tax issues. Wealthcare Financial is not endorsed by Ameriprise Financial. Wealthcare Financial is not under the supervision of Ameriprise Financial. Wealthcare Financial is not a broker-dealer or investment advisory firm. Ameriprise Financial Services LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC. More information available at FINRA’s BrokerCheck website.

Let’s talk about your goals

Schedule a complimentary consultation with our team to discuss what’s most important to you, ask
questions, and get answers that make you feel more confident about your financial future.
Schedule a complimentary consultation with our team to discuss what’s most important to you, ask questions, and get answers that make you feel more confident about your financial future.
Page Misenheimer Headshot

Page Misenheimer​

Page is a partner in Wealthcare Financial and the president of Misenhimer, Aivazian, and Tennant, P.C., a certified public accounting firm in Yuma.

He has been a certified public accountant licensed in Arizona for over twenty years, specializing in estate planning. In 1997, he earned the designation of Personal Financial Specialist from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, he holds licenses for life, health, and disability insurance. He’s also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a former member of the Million Dollar Round Table.

Page attended the University of Arizona and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in accounting and a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in finance and real estate.

Melissa Short Headshot

Melissa Short

Melissa is a Financial Advisor with a Certified Military Financial Advisor designation at Wealthcare Financial. She helps the team service existing clients; manage audit preparations and compliance issues; act as primary contact for outside retirement plans; assist with annual client review meetings; and liaise with the Yuma community. She specializes in helping the newly bereaved navigate the estate settlement process—particularly new widows who want to build confidence in managing their finances if it’s new to them.

Melissa graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO; earning a BA in business administration with an international emphasis. Her career began in the hospitality industry before moving into financial services in 2006.

She volunteers extensively in the community through the Yuma Elks Lodge 476 and Yuma Rotary; serving as club president and as an assistant governor for Rotary District 5500. In her spare time, she enjoys a number of hobbies including archery and playing golf.

Steve Schulte Headshot

Steve Schulte, CFP®, MBA

Steve is the managing partner of Wealthcare Financial, managing director of the Wealthcare Advisory Group, and a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial. Since 2000, he has provided investment advice by using a holistic financial planning approach based on his clients’ goals, needs, and long-term life plans.

He works closely with Page and Shawn to ensure that his clients have access to not only financial advice but the insurance, legal, and tax planning services they need to grow their wealth and protect their assets.

Steve earned a BS in agricultural economics from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Webster University. He’s also proud of being a former Yuma High School “Criminal” (the mascot of his local high school).

Shawn Garner Headshot

Shawn Garner

Shawn is a partner in Wealthcare Financial, a member of the Arizona State Bar Association, and admitted to practice in the Federal District Court of Arizona. Before joining the firm, he practiced in the area of commercial litigation and bankruptcy law.

Shawn joined Wealthcare Financial to help people achieve the peace of mind that comes with knowing their affairs are in order. He conducts free, monthly estate planning seminars to help get the word out about the problems and pitfalls associated with estate planning. He also writes a monthly estate planning column in The Yuma Sun.

He is a frequent speaker at public seminars covering the various aspects of estate planning and long-term care benefits available through Medicaid. Shawn also participates regularly as a member of the Arizona Medicaid Planning Council, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA). He is also a VA Accredited Attorney.

Shawn earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky Law School in 2008. He graduated in the top 1% of his class at Colorado State University when he earned his undergraduate degree with a double major in both Political Science and Criminal Justice. He also holds an Associate’s degree from Arizona Western College.

Maren Green Headshot

Maren Green

Maren is a client service associate at Wealthcare Financial, helping to facilitate communication with clients, schedule meetings, and maintain the client account database. From cultivating and onboarding new clients to ushering existing clients through their financial journey, Maren plays a critical role in the day-to-day operations of our firm.

Maren has worked in the financial services industry since 2015, and with Ameriprise since 2018.