Services

Goal-Based Financial Planning

Work with a financial advisor in Alaska who sees your full picture — not just your portfolio.

PLAN WITH PURPOSE

A Plan That Connects Every Part of Your Financial Life

Goal-based financial planning answers a different set of questions than traditional advising. Not just how should I invest, but when can I retire, what does that require of my savings and taxes between now and then, and what happens to the plan if something changes?

We start by building your Asset Map: a single-page view of your complete financial picture. From there, every recommendation gets built together, by the same person, with the same goals in mind.

This isn’t a one-time engagement. Goal-based financial planning at True North is a continuing relationship — one where your plan evolves alongside your life, and Mark is an active partner in every significant financial decision you make.

What’s Included

A comprehensive Asset Map capturing your complete financial picture, updated as your life evolves
Goal-based investment strategy built around your specific timeline, not generic risk categories
Tax-integrated planning so investment decisions and tax strategy are always developed in tandem
Retirement income modeling covering projected income, Social Security timing, and sustainable spending
An ongoing advisory relationship — not a one-time plan delivery — with regular reviews and direct access to Mark year-round

WHY TRUE NORTH

The CPA Credential Changes the Advice You Get

When most people work with a financial advisor, their investment strategy gets optimized in one room and their tax return gets filed in another. The two professionals are working from incomplete information, and the decisions they make can cost real money.

Mark Diehl holds both credentials: he’s a CPA and a financial advisor. That means when he recommends a Roth conversion, he’s already run the tax math. When he models your retirement income, he’s already accounting for how different withdrawal strategies affect your tax bracket each year.

For Alaskans looking for a financial advisor who brings that level of coordination, the options are limited. True North was built specifically to fill that gap. And because this is a relationship rather than a transaction, that coordination compounds over time — the longer we work together, the more complete the picture becomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find Answers and Get Directions

What is goal-based financial planning, and how is it different from traditional financial advising?

Traditional financial advising often centers on investment management — picking a portfolio allocation, monitoring performance, rebalancing periodically. Goal-based planning starts from a different place entirely. Before any investment decision is made, we identify what you’re actually working toward: retiring at a specific age, funding a child’s education, selling a business, buying property, building a sustainable income stream. Every strategy we build — how you invest, how you save, how you structure withdrawals, how you manage taxes — flows from those goals. The portfolio is a tool. The plan is what we’re actually building.

How does True North's approach differ from other financial advisors in Alaska?

The clearest difference is the tax integration. Mark Diehl is both a financial advisor and a CPA, which means your investment strategy and your tax strategy are developed by the same person with the same goals in mind. Most Alaskans working with a financial advisor are also working with a separate accountant — two professionals who rarely coordinate closely enough to catch the opportunities and pitfalls that live between their two domains. At True North, that gap doesn’t exist. Beyond that, every client relationship is built around a personalized financial roadmap, not a standardized portfolio model. The advice is specific to your life, not to a risk category.

What is an Asset Map?

An Asset Map is a single-page summary of your entire financial picture: what you earn, what you own, what you owe, how you’re insured, and what your estate looks like. Most people have never seen all of that laid out in one place — and most financial plans are built without it. At True North, the Asset Map is where every client relationship starts. It grounds every recommendation in your actual situation, and we update it regularly so the plan never drifts away from reality.

What kinds of goals does this type of planning address?

Retirement is the most common, but goal-based planning works for any major financial objective with a timeline. That includes business exits and ownership transitions, property purchases, inheritance planning, funding education, managing a sudden increase in income or assets, and building toward financial independence on a specific timeline. The approach is the same regardless of the goal: understand where you are, define where you want to go, and build a coordinated strategy that connects the two.

Do I need to already have significant assets to work with a financial advisor?

The right answer depends more on where you are in your financial life than on a specific dollar amount. True North works primarily with Alaskans who are serious about building a long-term plan — whether they’re approaching retirement, managing a significant transition, or reaching a point where they want real structure around their financial decisions. If you’re unsure whether this is the right fit, a free 30-minute discovery call is the simplest way to find out.

How often will we meet, and what does ongoing planning actually look like?

Most clients have a formal plan review at least once a year, and more frequently during periods of change — a new job, a business decision, a major tax event, a shift in family circumstances. Between scheduled meetings, you have direct access to Mark. There’s no intake process or scheduling queue — when something comes up that affects your plan, you reach out and we address it. The goal is a relationship where your financial plan stays current with your life, not one that gets revisited once a year and filed away.

What does it cost, and how does True North charge for its services?

True North operates on a fee-based model, and we believe you should understand exactly what you’re paying before committing to anything. The specifics vary depending on the scope of the engagement — whether that’s investment management, comprehensive financial planning, or both together. We walk through the fee structure clearly during the discovery call so there are no surprises. As a fiduciary, Mark is required to act in your best interest — which means recommendations are never driven by commissions or product incentives.

What does it mean that True North is a fiduciary?

A fiduciary is legally required to act in the client’s best interest — not in the interest of a product, a fund family, or a commission structure. Not every financial advisor in Alaska operates under this standard. Some work under a “suitability” standard, which means they only need to recommend something that’s appropriate for you — not necessarily the best option available. At True North, every recommendation Mark makes is governed by the fiduciary standard.

Is True North only for Alaskans, or do you work with clients elsewhere?

True North was founded specifically to serve Alaskans. Mark understands the specific financial landscape here: the Permanent Fund Dividend, the absence of a state income tax, the economic patterns tied to Alaska’s industries, and the limited availability of integrated financial and tax guidance statewide. That said, True North does work with clients outside Alaska. If you’re located elsewhere and looking for the same kind of coordinated, CPA-level financial planning, reach out — the discovery call is the right place to start that conversation.

Your Financial Journey Begins with One Conversation

Retirement doesn’t plan itself. But with the right advisor alongside you, the path there gets a lot clearer. Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with Mark and find out what your True North looks like.