Financial planning is the art of protecting your future. The goal is to maximize your assets while minimizing your level of risk. Sound simple? It's actually a difficult undertaking, since there are many variables involved in earning money and investing it wisely. Your life situation changes, your goals evolve, and financial markets and the economy undergo continual upheaval. The good news is that sitting down to clarify your goals and create a financial plan is half the battle. The other half is finding an experienced and knowledgeable financial advisor to help you craft your plan and then skillfully implement it. Meet Eric Tashlein. Eric is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional and founding principal of Connecticut Capital Management Group, LLC. He enjoys helping people manage, organize and simplify their financial affairs. Eric is a financial columnist for the New Haven Register and a contributing author to a previous financial planning book titled "Giving." He has written articles on financial topics and has appeared on local TV shows, and he has been quoted by major media outlets including Money magazine, Financial Advisor magazine and USA Today. "Smart Moves for Managing Your Money" is divided into three sections: Financial Planning includes sixteen articles on various aspects of investment management. Retirement Planning includes twelve articles about planning for your retirement years. Special Topics includes nine articles on various topics ranging from buying your dream car to finding the right financial planner for you.