Compass Financial Services: Guidance for the Decisions That Shape Your Life

Money is only one part of your life, but financial questions can take up a lot of space in your mind.

Whether you’re trying to plan for retirement, make sense of your investments, protect your family, or simply get organized, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

At Compass Financial Services, our Des Moines-based financial advisors help individuals and families bring the pieces of their financial lives together. We start by listening — to your questions, your goals, your concerns, and the values that shape how you make decisions.

Our goal is to help you understand where you are, where you want to go, and what steps may help you move forward with more confidence.

Ready to talk it through?

CONTACT OUR TEAM TODAY

How Compass Financial Services Can Help

Financial planning is not just about numbers. It’s about understanding what matters to you and creating a plan that supports the life you want to build.

At Compass, we help clients think through questions like:

Am I on track for retirement?
How should I manage my investments?
Do I need help organizing my financial life?
What would happen if I couldn’t work or something happened to me?
How should I think about college costs, insurance, taxes, or legacy planning?
Are the different parts of my financial life working together?

You may come to us with one specific question or a long list of things you’ve been meaning to figure out. Either way, we’ll help you slow down, sort through your options, and take a practical next step.

Our Financial Services

Compass Financial Services offers guidance for the questions, decisions, and transitions that shape your financial life. Whether you need help with one specific concern or want to bring several areas of your finances together, we’ll help you understand your options and identify a practical next step.

Hourly Financial Planning

Sometimes you need professional financial advice without an ongoing advisory relationship. Hourly financial planning offers a flexible way to ask questions, review your situation, and receive guidance based on what matters to you.

You might use an hourly meeting to organize your finances, create a plan for saving or paying down debt, review retirement accounts, prepare for a major life decision, or get a second opinion on an existing plan. It can also be a helpful starting point if you want education and direction but aren’t ready for investment management.

Learn more about our hourly financial planning.

Investment Management

Your investments should support your goals, not respond to every headline or market prediction. We help clients build and maintain investment strategies based on their time horizon, comfort with risk, income needs, and broader financial plan.

That may involve reviewing how your portfolio is currently invested, considering whether your level of risk remains appropriate, organizing old retirement accounts, or preparing investments to support future retirement income. As your life changes, we can help you evaluate whether your strategy should change with it.

Learn more about investment management.

Retirement Planning

Retirement planning brings your savings, investments, Social Security, pensions, taxes, healthcare needs, and lifestyle goals into one coordinated plan. It can help you understand whether you’re on track and what decisions may deserve your attention before regular paychecks stop.

Whether retirement is still years away or already on the horizon, we can help you think through when you may be able to retire, where your income could come from, and how your financial resources may support the life you want.

Learn more about retirement planning.

Insurance Planning

Insurance can help protect your income, your family, and the financial plans you’ve worked hard to build. We help clients review how life insurance, disability income insurance, and long-term care coverage may fit into their broader financial picture.

The goal isn’t automatically to purchase more coverage. It’s to understand what you already have, identify potential gaps, and consider whether your protection still reflects your income, responsibilities, retirement goals, and stage of life.

Learn more about insurance planning.

College & Education Planning

College and education planning can help families prepare for education costs while keeping other financial priorities in view. We help parents and grandparents estimate potential expenses, explore ways to save, and understand how financial aid, scholarships, and family resources may work together.

Depending on your timeline, the conversation may include 529 plans, monthly savings, FAFSA and CSS Profile considerations, net price estimates, and the balance between supporting education goals and continuing to prepare for retirement.

Learn more about our college and education planning resources.

Not Sure Where to Start?

You do not need to know exactly which service you need before reaching out.

Many people come to us because they have questions like:

“Are we doing okay?”
“Should we be doing something different?”
“Can we afford to retire?”
“What should we do with these old accounts?”
“Do we have the right insurance?”
“How do we make all of this work together?”

Those are good questions — and they’re exactly the kind of questions financial planning is meant to address.

If you’re unsure where to begin, we can help you determine whether hourly financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, insurance planning, or another next step makes the most sense.

How Our Process Works

We believe people make better financial decisions when they feel heard, respected, and informed. That’s why our process starts with conversation.

Here’s what you can expect:

1. We listen first.

We create strategies that are tailored to your needs and goals.

2. We review the big picture.

Years of experience have prepared us to guide you through your life transitions.

3. We explain your options.

Trust. Honesty. Integrity. We believe values matter, and we live by ours every day.

4. We help you take a clear next step.

Want to learn more about retirement, social security, or estate strategies? We have a wealth of resources.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before the first conversation. We’re here to help you start where you are.

Why Work With Compass Financial Services?

One of our top values at Compass is listening. We don’t offer one-size-fits-all financial advice, and we don’t believe in talking over your head.

Instead, we work to create a safe place where you can ask questions, understand your options, and make decisions that fit your goals and values.

Our team of financial advisors and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals helps clients across many stages of life — from young families and growing professionals to those preparing for retirement or already retired.

We believe education can lead to confidence. And with the right guidance, financial decisions can start to feel less overwhelming.

Learn more about why clients choose Compass Financial Services.

Ready for a Conversation?

If financial questions have been taking up too much space in your mind, you don’t have to sort through them alone.

Whether you need help with one decision or want to look at your full financial picture, our Des Moines financial advisors are here to listen, answer your questions, and help you take a clear next step.

Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation Today

Frequently Asked Financial Services Questions

Compass Financial Services offers guidance in several areas, including hourly financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, insurance planning, and broader financial planning conversations.
No. Many people reach out because they know they need help but aren’t sure where to start. We can talk through your questions and help you determine which service may be the best fit.
Hourly financial planning allows you to work with a financial advisor and pay for the time spent on your planning needs. It can be helpful if you have specific questions, want a second opinion, or need guidance without an ongoing advisory relationship.
Financial planning looks at your overall financial life, including goals, income, savings, debt, insurance, retirement, and estate considerations. Investment management focuses more specifically on how your investments are structured, monitored, and aligned with your plan.
The best time to start retirement planning is when you’re ready to look at the bigger picture. Some people start decades before retirement, while others begin when retirement is only a few years away. Either way, a plan can help you make clearer decisions.
Insurance can help protect your income, family, assets, and long-term goals from unexpected events. It is often an important part of a well-rounded financial plan.
Yes. College planning may be part of a broader financial planning conversation, especially for families thinking about education savings, 529 plans, financial aid, and how college costs fit with retirement and other goals.
Not necessarily. The right type of guidance depends on your needs. Some people may benefit from hourly financial planning, while others may need ongoing investment management or retirement planning support.
A first meeting is usually a conversation. We’ll learn more about your situation, what questions you have, and what you’re hoping to accomplish. You do not need to have everything perfectly organized before reaching out.
You can get started by contacting Compass Financial Services to schedule a conversation. From there, we’ll help you determine the next step that best fits your needs.

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