Our Approach

Magnificent Life Financial Planning is a fee-only, financial life planning firm based in Tempe, Arizona.
Our core values center on integrity and trust. We provide sensible advice and clear solutions and as such chose to be a fee-only firm. Fee-only firms do not receive commissions for selling financial products or any other inducement from third parties. We earn our compensation through an agreement based on the value provided to a client and paid by the client on an hourly, fixed fee, or percentage of assets basis. We feel this eliminates the conflicts-of-interest that are traditionally present in financial planning relationships and allows us to place our clients and their life goals, not their money, at the center of the relationship.

Financial Life Planning

Financial Life Planning starts with you and your values at the center of our conversations. Typically, your engagement with a financial advisor centers around your money, income, expenses, your investments and retirement dates. Financial Life Planning starts with questions such as:

• What are your priorities and perspectives?
• What do you most want to accomplish in life?
• What would you regret not doing if you did not accomplish it in your lifetime?
• What do you most look forward to about the future?
• What kind of life experiences do you value?

Until we first know the answers to these more impactful questions, we don’t know you and what is best for you or how to help you best achieve your most precious dreams.

Transition Planning

Every person will experience at least one of the following major life transitions and the likelihood that more than one at a time will be experienced increases with age. 

• Inheritance
• Loss of a parent
• Loss of a spouse
• Divorce
• Major career change
• Retirement
• The sale of a business
• Insurance settlement

Whether they begin with an inheritance, the sale of a business, or both simultaneously, transitions thrust individuals and families into a position where what was once considered stable is suddenly in flux. Traditional financial planning covers the bases when it comes to important topics such as taxes, investments, cash flow, and estate planning. But that’s only half of the experience of financial change. The other half is the human experience of adapting to change.  

Call or email to set up a complimentary consultation. We will have a conversation, either over the phone, video meeting, or in-person. You can discuss what’s on your mind and learn more about us and how we may be able to help you. You get the opportunity to determine if we are the right people for you. At the end of the meeting, if we all agree that there is a good fit, we will move forward. If not, you will never be pressured to work with us, and all you’ve invested is an hour of your time that we believe will leave you more informed about your future and some good questions to ponder.

About Stephen J Hazel

Stephen J Hazel, CFP® is a fee-only financial planner based in Tempe, AZ. He works with a wide range of clients in identifying and pursuing their life’s goals. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and transitioned to the financial advisory business in early 2008 after spending nearly two decades in banking.

Stephen attended Occidental College in Eagle Rock, CA, studying physics and engineering, and after that, graduated from Arizona State University, earning a BA in Japanese, which he speaks conversationally. He acquired a Master’s in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University. He has been a senior-level executive with extensive financial administration and accounting experience in start-up companies and community-sized financial institutions. 

Stephen is also devoted to education; he has been an Adjunct Faculty member for Rio Salado College and has been actively involved in the local community, having served on various charitable boards and organizations in support of education. 

He coached the triathlon program for the Desert Mountain States Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is a six-time IRONMAN® finisher and ten-time finisher of the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon as well as a number of other endurance events. He enjoys reading and outdoor activities when the weather is right! He is the proud father of two sons and a daughter and is a long–time Arizona resident.  

• Certified Financial Planner Professional – CFP®
• Certified Financial Transitionist – CeFT®
• Retirement Income Certified Professional – RICP®
• Enrolled Agent – EA
• Accredited Investment Fiduciary – AIF®
• Chartered Financial Consultant – ChFC®
• Former Adjunct Faculty, Rio Salado College, Personal Finance & General Business
• Master of Business Administration
• B.A. Asian Languages – Japanese