Have some questions or concerns? Perhaps the answers are here, and if not, please contact me, and I'll do my best to help you. 

Q: Where does the name "Claro" come from?

A: This Spanish word, literally translated as "clear," is often used to indicate that you understand something.  Eavesdropping on conversations in Buenos Aires cafes, I heard it constantly, and very soon was using it myself. I like to think of my work as helping others create clarity as I bring pragmatic "of course" understanding to what might otherwise feel daunting. "Does this makes sense to you?" "¡Claro!"

Q: How long does it take you to create a customized Go-To Guide?

A: When I work with clients who are well organized and know where to find many of their financial documents, the task goes quickly, especially if we work as a team. After the initial consultation, I have been able to complete a customized GTG in as little as eight hours. It can easily take longer, however, especially if information has to be retrieved from other sources. In that case, we can decide whether you want to do that homework yourself or if you want me to do it for you.

Q: I'm concerned about security, and I don't want people knowing all of my business. Won't a Go-To Guide make it too easy for people to know too much about my financial life?

A: You have a valid concern. For that reason, I suggest that you minimize access to your Go-To Guide, perhaps only sharing its contents with a single trusted family member or friend. I also recommend that you don’t label your binders on the spine.

Q: Do you offer an electronic version of the Go-To Guide? 

A: The current incarnation of the Go-To Guide is hard-copy only, a decision made quite intentionally. The GTG is intended as a dynamic tool. Not only will you be assembling the material over weeks or even months, you will be making changes as the years go by. By being able to make those changes by crossing out old information and writing in new or by adding a post-it reminder to a page, you are more likely to keep the contents up-to-date.

Another reason is that sitting next to someone and looking at the pages of a binder together is much more companionable than staring at a computer screen and watching someone else at the controls. The Go-To Guide can be a starting point for conversations that could get touchy, especially in the case of talking with older family members or friends. You will want all the help you can get!

And finally, there's the issue of security. You will be gathering valuable data all in one place, and if that place is in a file on your laptop, even a password-protected one, you are vulnerable. That said, having your Go-To Guide in electronic form makes a lot of sense. My recommendation is that you either scan the GTG forms onto a removable flash drive that you stash somewhere safe (after removing the scanned files from your hard drive), or use cloud document storage with secure encryption.

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