South Riding, Virginia · Licensed in 36 states
Protect what matters.Plan what's next.
Retirement income, family protection, estate and education planning, explained in plain language by a husband-and-wife team who will still be the ones answering your questions years from now.
People shouldn't have to pay by the hour just to understand how to protect their families.1
Where most conversations start
Which of these is important to you?
Most families come to us with one worry. A good plan touches all five, because they share the same money and the same people.
Is everything set up the way you'd want?
Beneficiaries, wills and trusts that line up with each other and with your wishes.
Find out more → Retirement incomeWill your savings last as long as you do?
Turning a balance into a paycheck that holds up through market drops and a long life.
Find out more → Children's futureHow do we pay for college without derailing retirement?
Comparing 529s, custodial accounts and cash value life insurance side by side.
Find out more → Family protectionWhat happens if one of us can't work?
Coverage that pays out after a death and, if designed right, during a serious illness.4
Find out more → Long-term careWho takes care of you, and who pays for it?
Plan for dignity, independence and support if a health event means you need help with daily living, now or in retirement, without placing a burden on your loved ones.
Find out more →Estate planning
A will is a start. A plan is everything working together.
Your will, your trust, your beneficiary forms and your insurance should all tell the same story. We review how they fit, find the gaps, and work alongside your estate attorney to close them.5
"We don't have enough to need an estate plan."
If you have children, a home or a retirement account, you have decisions someone will need to make. A plan names who makes them.
"Our will covers everything."
Retirement accounts and life insurance usually go to whoever is on the beneficiary form, even if your will says otherwise.
"Having a will means no probate."
A will generally goes through probate. Beneficiary designations and certain trusts can pass assets outside it.
"We set it up years ago, so we're done."
A new child, a move, a divorce or a death in the family can make an old plan wrong. We suggest a review every few years.
Retirement income
A retirement plan is an income plan.
Your savings balance matters less than what it can reliably pay you each month. We build income in layers, so the bills you can't skip are covered by sources that don't depend on the market.
Questions we'll answer together
- How much income do we need, and how much is already guaranteed?
- What happens to our plan if the market falls early in retirement?
- When should each of us claim Social Security?
- How do we pay less tax on the money we take out?
- What if one of us lives to 95?
Why the market can't carry the whole plan
Markets don't only go up.
From 1961 to 2024, the S&P 500® fell 20% or more about every 5.5 years, with an average drop of 34.5%. Climbing back takes longer than falling: after a 34.5% loss, you need roughly a 52.7% gain just to get back to even.
That's why we plan income that doesn't depend on the market in the years you need it most.
Source: North American Company for Life and Health Insurance. *Break-even figure is our calculation from the average decline. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Links open North American Company's website. Horizon Financial Services is not affiliated with North American Company beyond any appointment to offer its products.
Children's education & life start
Fund their education. Keep their options open.
Not every child takes the same path. We compare the main ways families save so you can weigh tax treatment, flexibility, control and financial aid impact before you choose. These two guides lay out the options side by side.
Links open the carriers' websites. General information only, not tax advice. Using cash value through loans or withdrawals reduces the death benefit and has tax rules of its own.6 Talk with a tax professional about your situation.
Death & living benefits
Life insurance that can help while you're still here.
Most families think of life insurance as money after a death. Many policies today also let you use part of the death benefit early if you're seriously ill, when the bills and lost income hit hardest.4
Time with family, not money worries
Access part of the benefit if a doctor certifies a limited life expectancy.
A heart attack, stroke or cancer diagnosis
A lump sum to cover treatment, travel and time off while you recover.
Help when daily tasks become hard
Ongoing payments toward care if you can't perform basic activities of daily living.
We start with one number: how much your household would need each year if a paycheck stopped. Then we size coverage to that number, and match term or permanent policies to how long the need really lasts.
Long-term care
Planning for care is planning for dignity.
Long-term care planning isn't about nursing homes. It's about deciding, while you still can, how you'll be cared for if a health event means you need help with daily living, and making sure that care doesn't come at the cost of everything you've built or everyone you love.
Sources: U.S. Administration for Community Living; Genworth/CareScout 2024 Cost of Care Survey.
It generally won't
Medicare does not cover long-term care unless medical care is needed. For help with bathing, dressing or eating, you pay the full cost.
Only after you've spent down
In most states, Medicaid pays for care only after countable assets drop to about $2,000. It's the payer of last resort: your savings pay first.
At what cost to them?
Caregiving can cost children their jobs, their income and time with their own families. Planning ahead protects them, not just you.
How we work
Three conversations, at your pace.
Get to know you
A relaxed call about your family, your goals and what worries you. No paperwork, no pitch.
Show you the options
We compare approaches and carriers side by side, including what each one costs and what you give up.
Put it in place, then stay close
We handle the applications and check in as life changes, so the plan keeps up with you.
About us
A family practice, for families.
We started Horizon Financial Services to give families the kind of patient, personal planning we wanted for our own. You'll work with us directly, every time.
Shivani Sharma
Co-founder
Shivani spent 17 years in human resources across healthcare, energy, telecom and consumer brands in India, Canada and the U.S., most recently running benefits administration and employee relations for more than 1,000 employees. She's seen firsthand how many families depend on workplace benefits that end when the job does. At Horizon, she helps families build protection that stays with them, and makes sure every question gets a plain answer.
Apoorv Sharma
Co-founder
Apoorv spent 18 years across logistics, financial services, manufacturing and technology in India, Canada and the U.S., including several years improving employee benefits and pension administration for a global insurance broker. He's seen firsthand how small decisions about money compound over decades. At Horizon, he focuses on retirement income and the numbers behind every plan: what's guaranteed, what isn't, and what it costs.
Let's talk
Start with one conversation. Leave with clarity.
- Pick a time that suits you
- Meet by video from home
- No pressure, no jargon