Financial planning is the process of:

 

Understanding your financial goals; knowing when you will need to use your money, and what you will be using it for. Then laying out a plan of action with specific steps you need to take to achieve those goals.  To give good advice a financial planner, also called a financial advisor, or your financial life coach ​must gather personal and financial data about you.  They use this data to create projections that show you when and how you might accomplish your goals.