Retirement

Why Hire a Financial Professional?

Alan Angeloni
Co-Founder & CEO

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your finances? Do you feel like you're not making the most of your money? You may need the help of a financial advisor. Financial advisors can help you plan for your future, save money, and make the most of your income.

With so much information available at our fingertips, it’s easy to feel like we can manage our finances on our own. So why should we consult a financial advisor? Here are 5 reasons:

1. Making sense of the deluge of information

A good financial advisor will help sort out the good advice from the bad. With years of experience and education, they can help you identify unbiased sources of information and distill complex topics into actionable items. This is their job, after all.  A Registered investment advisor can also offer you access to a wide variety of financial planning services. Some financial planning services are:

Asset Management

A financial advisor can help with asset management in a number of ways:

  1. Financial Advisors can develop an investment strategy that is tailored to your specific goals and risk tolerance. they can provide access to low cost investments, whether through a brokerage account or other investment vehicles such as mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Finally, they can monitor your portfolio on an ongoing basis to ensure your investments are in line with your
  2. Financial Advisors can provide guidance on how to allocate your assets across different asset classes and accounts which can provide you access to low-cost investments, whether through a brokerage account or other investment vehicles such as mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
  3. Financial Advisors can monitor your portfolio and make adjustments as needed in order to keep you on track to reach your financial goals.

In addition, a financial advisor can also help to explain the concepts of asset management to you so that you have a better understanding of what is happening with your portfolio. This can be a valuable service for those who are new to investing or who want to gain a greater understanding of their financial situation.

Wealth Management

A financial advisor & wealth manager can help you create an individualized plan for the income, investments and other assets you have available. They understand asset allocation, tax loss harvesting, tax planning, complex investment strategies, and what it takes to build and maintain a comprehensive financial plan. What’s appropriate in different market conditions will help you make prudent decisions to ensure a secure future.

Tax Planning and Retirement Strategies

Financial planning is often about managing taxes. With their knowledge, financial advisors can help you with tax-advantaged savings strategies, as well as find deductions or credits that you may have missed. Additionally, a financial advisor can help identify the most appropriate retirement plan for your situation and create an appropriate strategy to help you accumulate the resources you’ll need to retire comfortably. Retirement planning isn't easy

Risk Management, Insurance Planning and Estate Planning

Having a financial advisor is like having an insurance policy for your money. Financial advisors will work with you to create a strategy that focuses on preserving wealth while mitigating risks. This could include insurance or estate planning strategies designed to minimize taxes or create legacy assets. They’ll also help you understand the types of insurance that could provide protection for you and your family.

College Planning

Many financial advisors are well-versed in the complexities of college planning. They understand the different options available, such as 529 plans and other ways to save for college tuition. There’s no one size fits all approach when it comes to college planning, so a financial advisor can help you identify the best plan for your situation and goals.

Financial Advice, Ongoing Guidance, Accountability, & Motivation

It’s not just about having a plan in place; it’s about the ongoing guidance and review of your finances over time to ensure that you stay on track. Financial Advisors can help identify new opportunities for increasing wealth or provide alternative solutions when necessary. They can also help you make timely adjustments to your portfolio to adjust for changing market conditions.

Overall, it’s important to remember that financial advisors offer customized solutions tailored to each individual's unique situation. Consulting a professional can be an invaluable resource and help ensure that you are making sound decisions with your money. With their wealth of

Lastly, financial advisors act as a coach who will keep you accountable with your plan. They’ll serve as an objective second opinion when it comes to making decisions about your finances and act as a motivator to help ensure that you stay on track.  Having someone watching out for your best interests can provide peace of mind and help you achieve financial security.

2. Getting to know all about you

In order for your financial advisor to do their job, they need to get to know you. This includes understanding your risk tolerance, your goals (both short-term and long-term), and what’s important to you. It’s hard to make progress when you don’t have a clear destination in mind, so working with a financial advisor can help clarify your goals and develop a road map to get there.  

For most people, there are many paths they can take when it comes to their finances. A financial advisor has a wealth of resources and experience that will help you explore the different options and make sure you’re on track.

Having a financial advisor by your side is invaluable. When it comes to financial planning, most people are unsure of the next steps or even what questions they should ask. A financial advisor can help navigate those treacherous waters and find out the answers you need.  

Here are a few ways your financial advisor will get to know you:

1. Personal Meeting

The first step in getting to know you is to schedule a personal meeting. This meeting gives financial pros the opportunity to get to know you on a personal level and to learn more about your financial goals. We will ask you questions about your current financial situation, your investment experience, and your risk tolerance.

2. Financial Questionnaire

The second step is to have you complete a financial questionnaire. This questionnaire will ask detailed questions about your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and investment goals. The information you provide will help financial advisors to develop a financial plan that is tailored to your specific needs.

3. Review of Documents

The third step is to review important documents such as tax returns, bank statements, and investment statements. These documents will give financial advisors a better understanding of your financial picture and will help to make recommendations that are in your best interest.

3. Leveraging professional experience from a Financial Advisor

A good financial planner will have gone through different market cycles and knows how to adapt their strategy accordingly. They may even be a certified financial planner through the CFP Board. They will also have access to research and resources that the average person does not. And while past performance does not guarantee future results, it can give you some insight into how a particular financial advisor or financial advisory firm operates.

Having a good team of professionals by your side will help ensure you’re always making the best decisions for your future. A financial planner has access to experts in various fields such as tax, legal, and investment management. This team can provide advice tailored just for you and help you achieve success.

4. Financial advisors take the long view

Time is one of the most important factors when it comes to investing and growing your wealth. Working with a good financial advisor can help take an emotional toll on decision-making by keeping things in perspective and helping you focus on your long-term goals.

Most people know that they should be saving for retirement, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start financial planning. That's where a financial advisor comes in - they can help you create a plan that takes your long-term goals into account and make sure you're on track to reach them.

Your financial advisor will help you plan for all sorts of things, like unexpected expenses and major life changes. They'll also work with you to create a retirement savings plan that takes into account your unique situation.

It's important to remember that the sooner you start saving for retirement, the more money you'll have later on. Working with a financial planner is one of the best ways to ensure you're on track for a comfortable future.

5. You are not a financial advisor (and that’s okay) comprehensive financial planning isn't easy

Just because someone has been managing their own finances for years does not mean they know everything there is to know about personal finance. Nor does it mean they should forego professional advice altogether; even DIYers can benefit from objective perspectives every now and then... Especially from financial planners.

Financial planning can be a challenging and overwhelming process, but with the help of an experienced financial advisor, it doesn’t have to be. Working with a professional can provide you with peace of mind that your investment portfolio and overall finances are in good hands and give you access to resources and expertise that will help you achieve your financial goals.

It Pays to work with a financial planner

When it comes to something as important as your finances, it pays (literally) to work with a professional who can help you navigate through the noise and make informed decisions about your money. From developing a personalized plan to keeping emotions in check, working with a financial advisor provides numerous benefits that DIY investors simply cannot match. So if you’re on the fence about whether or not to consult a financial advisor, hopefully, this article helped sway you in the right direction!

Oh yeah, you can also research financial advisors you can work with on our website! Finding the right financial advisor for you has never been easier. Whether you're looking for a flat fee, fee-only financial advisors, certified financial planners, certified public accountants, online financial advisors, robo advisors, tax professionals, and more. We will match you with the right financial advisor to achieve your financial goals.

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Alan Angeloni
I'm the co-founder & CEO of financialprofessional.com