Minerva Planning Group
U.S. Headquarters:
1170 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30357
Our Firm
Minerva Planning Group was founded in 1987.
We became one of the first Fee-Only financial advisory firms in Georgia in 1989.
We have multiple offices throughout the Southeast United States.
Practicing as Fee-Only means: we are compensated solely by our clients. We do not sell commissionable products, split fees, or accept referral fees. Our clients clearly understand the cost of services they receive from us - via comprehensive reports.
Through organic growth, Minerva opened an office in St. Simons, GA to compliment the Atlanta operations. Today, Minerva continues to provide comprehensive financial planning and wealth management to clients not only in Georgia, but throughout the rest of the U.S. as well.
Our Client Services
We provide clients comprehensive financial planning and wealth management.
At Minerva, comprehensive financial planning is a process that starts with clarifying client goals. Once this is done, we develop a cash flow projection based on financial goals, resources and the investment strategy. Wealth management is an extension of the comprehensive financial plan.
For each of our wealth management clients, we implement their plan and provide ongoing investment management and planning advice. Our planning services include: comprehensive financial planning, portfolio design and special projects.
Our Comprehensive Financial Planning Process
Our comprehensive financial planning is a multi-faceted process that is centered around your financial goals. Some common goals include the following:
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Retirement
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Educational Needs
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Large Purchases
Often, the first step in working with clients is assisting them in determining exactly what their goals are. Once this is done, we move on to the more technical aspects of the plan, which can include:
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Goal-based Planning
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Risk Management and Insurance Planning
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Tax Planning
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Estate Planning
Our goal-based planning involves establishing a plan, including necessary savings and the assumed returns needed to meet the financial goals each client has established. Each plan includes: tax mitigation strategies, inflation and investment return assumptions. We also stress test each plan in addition to providing straight-line growth projections.
Risk management also plays a large role in the planning process, whereby insurance is one of the primary vehicles used in risk management. If assets and income are integral to a successful plan, and an unexpected event puts either at risk, appropriate coverage can help reduce or eliminate this risk.
As Fee-Only advisors, we do not sell insurance, nor do we receive referral fees – thus, if we do suggest additional insurance, our sole motivation is our belief that it is best for the client.
The last two facets often addressed in a comprehensive financial plan include: tax and estate planning.
Both of these elements of a plan are designed to minimize the tax impacts and ensure that each client and his or her heirs maximize after-tax wealth.
We provide comprehensive financial planning via a well-defined process requiring specific information. This process and the information needed is as follows:
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Step 1: Initial Client Consultation
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Step 2: Proposal
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Step 3: Base Plan Review
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Step 4: Final Plan Review
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Step 5: Portfolio Review
Our Portfolio Design Process
Each financial plan provides a general recommendation of the type of portfolio a client needs.
These recommendations are based on the client’s risk tolerance and return needs. The general recommendation is what is known as a portfolio allocation, which illustrates how investments should be allocated to specific segments of the market.
In portfolio design, we take the recommended allocation and use it to formulate an investment policy statement, which sets the overall investment strategy. From this recommended allocation, we formulate the client’s specific investment recommendations.
Specific considerations within the investment policy statement typically include:
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Risk tolerance, including the ability and willingness to take risk
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Return needs as outlined in your comprehensive plan
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Tax considerations, typically focused on maximizing after-tax returns
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Time horizon over which portfolio will fund needs
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Liquidity needs in the short-term
Once the investment policy is in place, we formulate specific account-by-account investment recommendations encompassing what should be purchased and what should be sold.
Portfolio Design Process follows the completion of a plan, and the steps are as follows:
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Step 1: Investment Policy Statement – The investment policy statement documents the overall investment strategy, which is determined based on a number of factors, including client risk tolerance and return needs as outlined in the client’s financial plan.
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Step 2: Investment Recommendations – Once the investment policy is complete, we formulate specific account-by-account recommendations regarding what should be purchased and what should be sold in each account.
Our Experienced Team
Micah Porter
Micah Porter is President and CEO of Minerva Planning Group and a CFA charter-holder. Micah joined Minerva in 2003 with extensive experience in business planning and corporate finance. Micah enjoys working with individual clients to formulate, implement and update their comprehensive financial plans. Additionally, as a CFA charter-holder, he is responsible for establishing and implementing Minerva’s overall investment strategy. Micah is a NAPFA Registered Financial Advisor.
Micah received his Masters in International Business with a financial focus from the University of South Carolina in 1993, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina in 1991. Micah is fluent in Spanish and conversant in German.
Renée Weese
Renée Weese joined the Minerva Planning Group team in 2006 following a 20-year career with Hartford Financial Services Group, most recently as President of Omni Insurance Group, a subsidiary of The Hartford. Renée brings a unique business perspective, as well as valuable insights into making successful life transitions, both personally and professionally. A long-term Minerva client herself, Renée knows first-hand the value of professional guidance in setting personal, financial and business goals.
Renée holds a Master’s Degree from the Goizueta Business School, Emory University. She has completed her studies for the Certified Financial Planning designation and has been featured for her personal experience and insights on CNN.com, in newspapers across the country and in More magazine. An Atlanta native, Renée is actively involved in the local LGBT, arts and business communities.
Anne Gunn
Anne is our Client Relationship Manager. She supports Micah and Renee in handling many of the day-to-day tasks critical to the smooth operation of the firm. Anne holds a degree in Astrophysics with a minor in Mathematics from Agnes Scott College. She also has a Master's Degree in Science Education.
Anne is a lifelong Atlanta resident and currently plays violin for the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra.
Who Works With Us
Our clients are professional, self-employed, and retired individuals who seek a trusted advisor to help them plan and secure their financial future in these turbulent times. Our clients are from many walks of life, but they all share a need for financial peace-of-mind as they pursue their life goals.
NAPFA: The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors is the nation’s leading organization of Fee-Only comprehensive financial planning professionals.
Please be aware that Minerva Planning Group has a portfolio minimum of $500,000 to accept inquiries through this directory.
