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Writing about financial matters for a living helps me keep my own finances in check. For example, sometimes I’ll write a story about the importance of checking your credit report, and it will remind me to pull up a copy of my own credit report and make sure everything looks okay.
I also tend to write a lot about investing — how it’s important to consistently fund an IRA or 401(k) and load up on higher-risk assets when you’re younger. And I tend to follow my own advice by maxing out retirement plan contributions and filling my brokerage account with stocks.
But even though I know a lot about personal finance matters and investing, I still enlist the help of a financial advisor for my long- and even short-term planning. Apparently, though, I’m in the minority.
A study by Northwestern Mutual released last year found that only 35% of Americans seek the help of a financial advisor. But here’s why having one is so important to me.
It’s all about getting that outside perspective
When you’re managing your own money and working toward your own goals, you can sometimes get stuck inside your own head. That’s just one reason I prefer to work with a financial advisor rather than tackle all personal financial matters on my own.
An outside professional can offer a different perspective on things. And on different occasions, my financial advisor has helped me realize that certain decisions I would’ve made on my own weren’t necessarily the most prudent.
Also, when you’re investing your own money, it’s easy to get emotional when things aren’t going your way. Years back, I bought some municipal bonds that were supposed to be a safe, lucrative investment but wound up being anything but.
I stubbornly insisted on holding onto those bonds for quite some time because I didn’t want to take a loss on what was supposed to be a “sure thing” type of investment. In the end, my financial advisor helped me realize that my stubbornness wasn’t helping me meet my financial goals — it was hindering them.
An option worth looking at
One common myth I hear all the time when it comes to financial advisors is that you don’t need one if you don’t have much money. But in reality, you do not need to be wealthy to benefit from a financial advisor. Many of these professionals work with clients who earn an average wage and have an average savings account balance. But if you’re in that boat and you sign up to get help, you might go from having an average net worth to a higher one.
All told, if I can justify hiring a financial advisor, then the typical consumer can probably benefit quite a bit from having one. So it pays to explore your options for getting help managing your money.
A good bet is to talk to different professionals before signing up to work with one. Solicit recommendations from friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and ask questions about fees (since financial advisors have to get paid some way) so you know what you’re dealing with. You may find that hiring a financial advisor is one of the smartest money-related decisions you’ll ever make.
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