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      Wealth Management Insights

      Browse even more educational content on all things wealth management.

      Wealth Management Insights October 3, 2025

      A Strong Financial Plan Can Help You Navigate the Road Ahead

      Having a plan is generally a smart idea. If you’re going on a road trip, for example, you plan by figuring out a route, deciding where you’ll stay, making sure you’re prepared for emergencies and more.

      Your finances are like this road trip. Planning for the journey ahead can help make it a smooth ride, and if or when the unexpected happens, your plan should help you know how to respond. However, getting started with a financial plan can seem daunting, so let’s take a closer look at how to build a plan that sets you up for success.

      Start with help by your side

      Meeting with a wealth advisor is a great way to get your plan underway. Wealth advisors have experience with a number of personal financial situations, and this experience allows them to make sound recommendations to you. A good advisor will take the time to get to know you and understand your goals, then develop a personalized plan that will help you pursue these goals.

      This often includes brokerage services, where the advisor will work with you to build a portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities that make sense for your situation. A wealth advisor can also help you with:

      • Education planning: If you have children, it’s critical to set money aside for their future college expenses.
      • Insurance planning: Your advisor can discuss life and long-term care insurance options with you and build them into your plan.
      • Tax planning: In conjunction with a tax advisor, a wealth advisor can analyze your portfolio to make sure you’re not over or underpaying on your taxes.
      • Retirement and longevity planning: This is the ultimate destination on the journey, and you’ll want to make sure you can live comfortably when you’re no longer working.

      Make adjustments during the journey

      Road trips can be winding with unexpected detours along the way. Your financial journey can also take twists and turns, which is why it’s important to have regular check-ins with your advisor.

      These meetings are a great time to look at your progress, evaluate your changing goals and adjust. Maybe you want to tweak your investment strategy, look at some different types of insurance or get more focused on retirement. Your wealth advisor can help provide guidance and insight.

      Get ready for retirement at the end of the road

      Think of retirement like the nice vacation resort at the end of the road trip. Once you arrive at the resort, you’ll likely be filled with excitement. But as your stay grows longer, you’ll need to rely on your plan to ensure you continue to enjoy the visit. Did you adequately budget for meals and entertainment? Is someone checking on your house? Are kids or pets taken care of? Not having a plan for any of these items can quickly turn a relaxing vacation into a stressful ordeal.

      Retirement also has a “honeymoon” phase at the beginning that gives way to the realities of day-to-day life. While you should celebrate being retired, you also need to have a plan in place to make sure your life remains comfortable without a regular paycheck.

      Balancing your financial reality with the lifestyle you want to create takes some finesse. But it’s worth the effort so you can create an income stream designed to cover your basic needs and wants when you’re no longer working full-time.

      Old National Wealth Advisors can help. Working with us to first create a financial plan while you’re younger, then adjusting that plan as you get closer to retirement, is a great way to  seek that destination.

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      Old National Wealth Management is the umbrella marketing name/logo for wealth-related services, including Old National Wealth Advisors, Old National Private Banking and 1834 services. Old National Wealth Management, Old National Private Banking, and 1834 are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

      Old National Wealth Advisors: Your Bank (“Financial Institution”) provides referrals to financial professionals of LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) pursuant to an agreement that allows LPL to pay the Financial Institution for these referrals. This creates an incentive for the Financial Institution to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest. The Financial Institution is not a current client of LPL for brokerage or advisory services. Please visit https://www.lpl.com/disclosures/is-lpl-relationship-disclosure.html for more detailed information.

      Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC.). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Old National Bank and Old National Wealth Advisors are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Old National Wealth Advisors, and may also be employees of Old National Bank. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Old National Bank, Old National Private Banking or Old National Wealth Advisors. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

      Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency Not Bank Guaranteed Not Bank Deposits or Obligations May Lose Value

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