Three Reasons to Hire a Financial Advisor

Posted on: September 18th, 2014 by Gary Hager

The stock market’s seemingly poor performance over the past decade has led some to believe that, what with banks losing money left and right and having needed “bailing out” from the government, it is wiser and safer and indeed more profitable to simply invest one’s money on one’s own, without the help or guidance of a financial advisor. Of course, those individuals couldn’t be further from the truth. So many individuals were ruined by the Great Recession and various bad investments because they either took bad advice from bad financial advisors or – and this happened more often than you’d think – they chose to invest their money on their own, and made some pretty bad decisions in doing so.
 
When the market seemed to have no limit to its growth, many were tempted into investing money that they really couldn’t afford to lose – and when they did lose it, things came crashing down. Those investors didn’t realize, or perhaps just refused to acknowledge, just how useful a financial advisor can be in your life. Here are three reasons why a financial advisor may be right for you:

1. An Advisor Can Get to Know You

First, let’s get one thing out of the way: trying to go with abstract, one-size-fits-all pieces of financial advice and then building on that can be very dangerous. Everyone has their own particular needs, and that includes you as well. Your situation, financially speaking, changes and shifts from month to month, year to year, and decade to decade. An advisor can learn your needs, abilities, and the full breadth of your finances to really give you the best possible advice. Try getting a finance blog entry to do that.

2. Financial Advisors are Trained for This

Let’s be honest: you have little experience in the world of finance, if you’re anything like the average person. Yes, you know a thing or two about the stock market and about how personal finance works, but you aren’t a professional who has been involved in the business for years – decades, even – and who has a degree (or several) in the matter. You can trust that kind of training.

3. Affordability

You won’t be hiring a top financial advisor at one of the biggest firms in the world; instead, you’ll likely be hiring someone local, or if not that, someone at a small business. And that’s good; a financial advisor at that level can offer you realistic, helpful advice that has meaning and use for you. Lucky for you, that kind of advisor is exactly the level of affordability you’re looking for!