A New Perspective May Do You A lot of Good

Have you ever wondered to yourself why someone else was trying to fix you, when you never asked to be "fixed."

Maybe you went to them for advice about a very specific issue. Suddenly, they are preaching at you about changes you need to make.

They're not a bad person for trying to "help" you. However, you leave the conversation feeling discouraged about your relationship with them.

This must be the way people feel when they hire a financial advisor at times. You don't need to be fixed. You need to be led! You don't need to be fundamentally changed. You need to be understood. You don't need to be judged. You need to be empowered.

When you are hiring a financial advisor, what questions are you asking?

1. What licenses or certifications do you have?
2. How long have you been investing money for clients?
3. What fees do you charge?
4. What philosophies do you subscribe to?

When you're asking these questions, what answers are you really looking for? Can I trust you? Are you capable? Are you fair? Will you protect my money while trying to grow it as if it were your own? You're looking for the intangibles, right?!

When you hiring a financial advisor, what questions are they asking you?

1. What does your current portfolio look like?
2. What are your income, expenses, liabilities, and assets?
3. When do you want to retire?
4. What are your other financial goals and objectives?

When they are asking you these questions, what answers are they really looking for? Will you pay me enough money to make it worth my time? What problems can I find in your current situation? How can I prove to you that I can fix your problems?

The questions that Financial Advisors and Planners have been trained to ask you are outdated (so, too, are the questions you're asking of your advisors). They are solely focused on the external forces related to finances. They are centered on fixing something or someone.

There's a subtle shift in the fundamental approach to financial planning that can completely change your experience when dealing with your financial advisor. While most financial plans today are based on goals, they need to be focused on intentions. It's that simple.

The hard part is helping you to define your intentions. The hard part is facilitating your financial plan instead of fitting you into a plan. The hard part is truly understanding how your experiences throughout your life shape your financial decisions and actions.

There is no product or strategy that can "fix" your situation. Your experiences, knowledge, intentions, aligned goals, and future objectives will all determine your strategies, investments, and decisions.

Please let that sink in. Please demand more out of yourself when it comes to choosing your financial advisor. Please demand more from your advisor than just objective financial analysis. Please understand that there is an absolute link between your wealth and your lifetime journey; past and present. Embrace that connection. Empower yourself with this knowledge. Be intentional about your life starting today!