Armik Aghakhani, CPA and Managing Partner of Chartered International LLP, has released a free resource designed to help individuals assess and organize key areas of their financial and personal records in just 15 minutes. The checklist, titled "The 15-Minute Personal Self-Check," is a plain-language guide intended to help people identify overlooked details and areas needing attention before small issues escalate into significant problems.
This release is important because it addresses a widespread and costly issue: financial disorganization. Industry data and real-world experience indicate that individuals can incur $2,500 to $5,000 in cumulative costs from errors, delays, and corrections stemming from poor record-keeping. Over 60% of people rely on incomplete or scattered records, and nearly one in three only identify issues after receiving an official notice or inquiry. Fixing problems reactively often takes three to five times longer than addressing them proactively. The checklist provides a structured, time-efficient method to combat these statistics, offering a practical tool for personal financial health that can prevent substantial monetary loss and stress.
The resource is shaped by Aghakhani's professional and charitable philosophy, emphasizing clarity, intentionality, and long-term thinking. His approach, developed through decades of accounting work and community involvement with organizations like the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (PazNaz) and the Armenian Christian Outreach of PazNaz (ACOP), focuses on thoroughness. "When things feel complex, you have to slow down and be thorough," Aghakhani explains, noting this applies to personal finance as much as community initiatives like fundraising for inclusive programs for children with autism.
The checklist is designed for practical use. Users are advised to set aside 15 uninterrupted minutes, answer each question with yes, no, or unsure, and highlight anything unclear. It targets common mistakes, such as assuming last year's situation still applies, storing documents across too many platforms, avoiding confusing topics, and waiting until a problem becomes urgent. By helping users identify what they know and what needs follow-up, the guide fosters awareness without requiring immediate solutions.
The potential impact is significant for readers seeking to improve their financial organization. By using this tool, individuals can gain clarity on their records, potentially avoiding the high costs and time burdens associated with disorganization. The checklist is available now at no cost at https://www.charteredinternational.com/self-check. Aghakhani encourages completing it in one sitting and revisiting it annually or after major life changes, framing it as a step toward building trust in one's own financial preparedness. "At the end of the day, this is about trust," he says. "If you protect that, everything else follows."
