Financial Operating Manual

At Incline Financial Planning, we built our Financial Operating Manual for one simple reason:

Airline pilots deserve a financial system that is just as structured, reliable, and repeatable as the procedures they trust in the cockpit.

Your profession runs on discipline, checklists, and proven processes — not guesswork.

Your money should operate the same way.

Through years of advisory experience and firsthand exposure to pilot compensation, benefits, and career rhythms, we’ve found that pilots thrive when their financial life follows a clear, behavioral system — one that builds momentum, reduces stress, and produces predictable progress.

This Financial Operating Manual is not theory.

It is the framework we use personally and professionally to guide every client relationship.

Because lasting financial success isn’t built on perfect timing or chasing investment trends.

It’s built on:

  • Clear systems

  • Proven principles

  • Consistent execution

  • Disciplined behavior

When those elements work together, financial progress becomes repeatable — and confidence grows.

The FOM Framework

Our Financial Operating Manual is built around a structured financial planning process inspired by biblical principles popularized by Dave Ramsey, adapted specifically for the realities of airline pilots flying for American Airlines.

Pilot income is unique.
Your retirement structure is unique.
Your career volatility is unique.

A generic financial plan doesn’t account for those realities.

This framework does.

The goal is simple:

Build stability first → Grow wealth second → Create freedom and flexibility for the long term.

Markets will change.
Contracts will change.
Schedules will change.

Your financial direction shouldn’t.

The Financial Planning Process We Use

This step-by-step process keeps pilots moving forward regardless of career phase, market conditions, or life events.

Step 1: Build a Cash Flow Plan

Step 2: Pay off all debt (except the house) using the debt snowball

Step 3: Save 3–6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund

Step 4: Invest 15% of household income for retirement

Step 5: Save for your children’s college fund

Step 6: Pay off your home early

Step 7: Build wealth and give

Protecting the Plan

Building wealth is only half the job.

Protecting what you’ve built is just as important.

Throughout every stage of the Financial Operating Manual, we ensure your foundation is properly protected through proactive risk management and legacy planning.

Insurance Planning

We help American Airlines pilots evaluate and structure the insurance coverage that actually matters:

  • Term life insurance

  • Disability income protection

  • Umbrella liability coverage

  • Aviation and career-specific risk considerations

The goal is simple:
One unexpected event should not undo decades of disciplined financial progress.

Estate Planning

Every client relationship includes coordination around a proper estate plan to ensure your wishes are clear and your family is protected.

This includes guidance around:

  • Wills and guardianship planning

  • Healthcare directives and powers of attorney

  • Beneficiary alignment across accounts

  • Legacy and inheritance planning

Your family deserves clarity, not confusion — and certainly not court involvement.

Conclusion

The Financial Operating Manual exists for one reason:

To replace financial guesswork with a structured, repeatable process.

Because lasting wealth is not built through luck, timing, or intensity.

It is built through clear systems and disciplined execution — applied consistently over time.

That is how financial progress becomes predictable.