A personal financial statement can be viewed as your report card. It’s a critical performance measurement tool to help you determine the progress you are making to secure your financial future and protect your family.
While banks require one to guarantee debt on privately held business, we feel it’s important to prepare properly to measure your net worth.
What are the important elements to consider when preparing your personal financial statement?
- Consistency – Prepare the statement at the same time of year.
- Valuation – Value the assets at fair value.
- Title – For proper estate evaluation, list the assets exactly as titled.
Once we’ve prepared your personal financial statement, we will:
- Evaluate your estate to determine if it’s taxable and, if so, work with your legal counsel to prepare a plan to minimize your estate taxes.
- Develop an overall estate plan to accomplish your longer-term goals, i.e., to provide for your surviving spouse and children, charitable designations, and other matters that are important to you.
- Evaluate the composition of your assets and how they are invested. We can work with your investment professional to develop a sound investment plan.
- Assess your liquidity and cash flow to provide for your retirement goals.
- Evaluate life insurance needs to pay estate taxes or provide liquidity if your estate is liquid.
Contact our Family Business Services team for more information about preparing a personal financial statement.
Related Insights

Featured Client Testimonials
Barnes Wendling has been our company accountants for over seven years. Their knowledge has been instrumental in helping us grow strategically during this time. And although we’ve seen many changes in our economy that we cannot control, we’ve always been able to trust the Barnes team to be by our side. The Barnes team feels like family. We can’t thank them enough for their support!
Christine Kloss - Controller, AT&F

Featured Client Testimonials
Barnes Wendling has been our company accountants for over 15 years. During this time, the business has grown exceptionally, and Barnes has kept pace, providing accurate, quality advice. Our finances are more efficient than ever, and the expense of hiring Barnes has been a definite positive add to our bottom line. I give my highest recommendation to their firm.
David Miller, MD - President, Retina Associates of Cleveland

Featured Client Testimonials
Barnes Wendling has provided us guidance and recommendations that have strategically helped strengthen our business and position ourselves for growth. We needed to hire a new VP of Finance and Controller this past year, and they were instrumental in helping us find the best candidates for our company.
Sara Blankenship - President, Kaufman Container

Featured Client Testimonials
We value the trust, accuracy of information, and reliability of Barnes Wendling and Mike Essenmacher personally. Mike has been instrumental as a trusted advisor on accounting, tax, and personnel issues. His advice is always accurate, and he is very reliable. His associates are also very talented.
Dominic Ozanne - President and CEO, Ozanne Construction Company

Featured Client Testimonials
We value Barnes Wendling’s expertise with all things accounting so we can operate our business using our strengths and allowing them to be our experts. They have also brought me a few business sale opportunities to allow me to grow my assets.
John Gaydosh - President and Metallurgical Engineer, Ohio Metallurgical Service

Featured Client Testimonials
Barnes Wendling (especially Lena) did a great job with our financials. Everything. It is extremely refreshing and comforting to know that all of our numbers are not only correct, but they are in the right place(s). Your diligence and reporting truly does make me (personally) feel better.
Thomas Adomaitis - Controller, Bialosky Cleveland

Featured Client Testimonials
I can wholeheartedly tell you that I have yet to work with an audit or tax team that have been more helpful, easy to work with, and committed than the team at Barnes Wendling- I have been through three different firms in the last few years.
Michelle Saylor, Former Controller, Aero Mag

Featured Client Testimonials
Floyd Trouten at Barnes Wendling CPAs is an “expert’s expert” when it comes to M & A accounting. Not only does he understand the evolving details of the Tax Code but he also sees the fine points of their application for owners, managers, investors, and financiers.
Mark A. Filippell, Western Reserve Partners

Featured Client Testimonials
The service is amazing at Barnes Wendling CPAs. The benefit is worth more than the cost. Sometimes it’s true that you get what you pay for.
Mark Boucher - Former Owner, Castle Heating & Air

Featured Client Testimonials
Floyd and Barnes Wendling CPAs always provide us with peace of mind. Floyd is not only our trusted financial advisor, but we trust him like family. The Barnes Wendling CPAs team is always proactive and meet all of our deadlines. We are very grateful for them.
Trish Gleason, OMCO Holdings & Gleason Family Office

Featured Client Testimonials
Our heartfelt thanks to the Barnes Wendling CPAs team for all you do for us, such as your remarkable responsiveness, timeliness in meeting deadlines, and being such a pleasure to work with!
Karyn Davies Mitchell, CareMetx

Featured Client Testimonials
Barnes Wendling takes a holistic, comprehensive approach that helps ensure we are looking ahead to the future. By keeping us up to date on relevant law and regulation changes, we can focus on running our business rather than burying ourselves in tax law. All of this is well communicated, which is the key to any relationship.
Joe Gramc - CFO, Five Star Trucking