You might not have the time or desire to become a full-fledged financial expert, but that does not negate the necessity of managing your personal and household finances well. Don’t fret, for there’s an easy way out for situations such as these. If you would rather have it easy, financial advisors can help you execute financial plans without you having to take on the burden of worrying over altered legislations and other such economic or financial products.
What Are Financial Advisors?
Financial advisors are essentially professionals who can offer valuable advice to their clientele on important decisions related to their wealth management as well as personal finance. Going by their particular area of expertise, financial advisors might help you with everything, ranging from putting together your retirement savings plan with a doable timeline, or simply answering a query about your life insurance.
What Can Financial Advisors Do?
Financial advisors can meet with you to assess and assist you with your current financial situation as well as future ambitions. They can aid in the development of a comprehensive plan addressing major areas of your financial concern- retirement, college, insurance, evading estate tax, and so on. Offering advice whenever unexpected financial issues come up in your life and setting up investment accounts or investing funds for you are also in their job description. They will help you locate appropriate financial vehicles, such as insurance policies and mortgages.
Life Events That Call for Financial Advisors
Specific life events can prompt us to seek out financial advice. Such events typically involve windfalls or significant losses. Here are some scenarios or phases in life when financial advisory might be called for:
- Nearing retirement
- Inheriting money from a parent, and trying to invest it
- Getting married, and managing finances as a couple
- Getting divorced or losing a spouse, and moving forward fiscally as a single person
- Parents getting older, and trying to manage their finances
- Post-childbirth
- A hatred for investments and financial planning
- Needing a second opinion on existing financial goals or strategies
Benefits of Having a Financial Advisor
If you are confused, emotional, or uninformed about numerous wealth management concerns, financial advisors can be a great idea. A majority of people do not see far enough into the future to envision their retirement- much less plan for it- and some professional advice might come in handy. Financial advisors will ask you questions, some uncomfortable even, to get the full picture of the status quo and where you wish for your life to go.
Financial advisors can put together a robust plan and offer advice on investments, retirement and estate planning, tax liability, your children’s college education, to name a few. The advisor’s knowledge may make a lot of difficult decisions easier to implement. A few financial planners go a step further, actively assisting you in buying insurance products and investing in financial products like certificates of deposit (CDs) or mutual funds. Others can act as liaison with a broker or a money manager who has more power and access. They might also be able to work with a trust, an estate-planning lawyer, or an accountant on your behalf.