Financial planning involves looking at your entire financial situation and laying out a plan to take you in the direction you want to go.
It involves looking at the type of mortgage you have (as well as all types of debt you may have), your insurance coverage, company benefits, family situation, career stability, spending habits, legal documents, retirement plans; basically anything that has to do with you and your money.
Investment advice is just one small piece of financial planning. It has to do with where you put your money; from picking funds inside your 401k plan to choosing stocks and bonds to evaluating the risks of putting your money into a new business venture.
Retirement planning involves a skill set that goes beyond just financial planning or providing investment advice.
A retirement planner must have a clear understanding that the financial assets you are accumulating, as well as other resources you have such as pensions, social security, part-time work, home equity, etc. are all pieces of a puzzle that must be put together in a way that will result in the delivery of reliable monthly paychecks to you once you are retired.
Just because someone offers financial planning does not mean they offer investment advice and/or retirement planning, or vice versa. Make sure you understand the differences before you search for the service you need.
