Financial planning is the process of managing finances to meet life goals like buying a home or saving for retirement. It involves insurance, investment, tax, retirement, and estate planning. Financial planning is important due to factors like inflation, rising life expectancy, and uncertainty. Insurance planning helps minimize risks to assets and income from early death, disability, or other factors. Investment planning involves evaluating risk tolerance, allocating assets appropriately among short, medium, and long-term holdings, and accumulating wealth through systematic investing and regular portfolio reviews.