5 Ways An Advisor Can Add Value

Have you ever wondered... " How could An Advisor Add Value to My Life?" 

If so, you are in luck! In this blog post, we will go over 5 ways an Advisor can add value to your life.

First off, let's answer:

What is a Financial Advisor?

A Financial Advisor is a licensed professional who provides financial advice and/or services to clients based on their financial situation.

Now that we have that answered, How could an advisor add value to your life? 

Way Number 1:  Time

An advisor, through their work with you and on your behalf, can provide you with time freedom. Having time freedom means you understand the importance of your time and direct it on the events, meaningful things, and people that matter most to you.  

Time freedom doesn't happen immediately; working with an advisor requires some time investment upfront so that an advisor can learn about you, your situation, and your goals. 

One of the bits of information I tell prospects in our first meeting is that during the first few months of our relationship, you will end up seeing me more than you want. This is the time that we build the initial Financial Plan. 

Once we have the plan in place, we continue to tweak it and make necessary changes throughout our relationship- this is how we keep our plans Agile. Financial planning isn't a straight line - set it and forget it; it's more like a winding road that we navigate together through monitoring. These changes require significantly less involvement by the client than the previous steps, allowing them to spend more time on the things that matter most to them. 

In our office, we accomplish all of this by setting up a services calendar that details the client at what time they can expect communication (most importantly, our updates). Many clients get at least a semi-annual report from our office and their monthly/quarterly statements from the custodians. However, we are constantly watching the holdings in the portfolios and the market trends so we can react if necessary before reaching one of the predefined semi-annual reviews.

Managing your portfolio and financial plan can become a second job if you go the Do-It-Yourself route. 

Way Number 2:  Accountability

As human beings, we all seem to do much better when we are held accountable. When our feet are held to the fire, most of us are more likely to get something taken care of than if we don't have to answer to anyone else.  

Financial advisors can help keep you accountable for your own financial goals. With an overall financial plan, we are able to help keep clients accountable to more than just savings goals; some additional aspects include: getting estate documentation taken care of, getting insurance in place, and any other items mentioned throughout building the financial plan.

Way Number 3:  Protection/Risk Control

Through their work with you, an advisor can help determine the overall risk level that you are comfortable with. As human beings, we often compare ourselves to our friends, family, and neighbors. These comparisons can be helpful and hurtful.   Helpful as it is an easy gauge to compare against, hurtful though since their situation does not mirror yours. Risk can help to be controlled by finding your risk tolerance; everything is great when the markets are advancing, but when markets inevitably decline, you'll care about the amount of risk you are taking.

We can achieve protection through the use of insurance products. Homeowners and Auto policies help to protect those assets, health insurance helps to protect you by helping with some medical expenses, and life insurance can help to protect your loved ones.  

Way Number 4:  Organization

Organization of financial documentation can help aid you and your heirs. As a Financial Advisor, we can aid in organization due to knowing what needs to be kept for financial records and what can be destroyed. We also have access to create a client vault that allows you to organize this information in an online format. 

Way Number 5: Confidence

This one can be tricky as gaining confidence can mean something different to each of us. I gain confidence in my circumstances when an important task I need to do is taken care of or when I know I can trust someone to take care of it for me. 

If you would like to discuss your situation and see if working with an advisor can add value to your life, Fill out the contact form below or schedule a time on my calendar