An often overlooked, yet crucial, component of the financial planning process is the role of insurance and other risk management investment tools that are valuable in helping us manage a financial plan for our clients. By identifying the potential risks and pitfalls that could derail the plans that we have put in place the probability of reaching the goal is increased. We all know that life has risks and things will never go exactly as planned. We look for ways to effectively transfer the financial impact of certain risks away from our clients as appropriate, such as the impact that a disability, health event, fire, early death, or long term care health need would have on a family, or even the impacts that a market crash or a longer than expected life would have on an investment portfolio. Thinking through the issues that impact our clients and planning where appropriate can help to give them more confidence in the final success of their plan.