By Brad Sanders, CFP®, CRPC®
In a world where huge financial institutions are charging clients absolutely nothing for trading, you may wonder why you would ever pay someone for financial advice. It is great to be in an environment where reputable companies are looking for your business while keeping your costs next to nothing. On the surface, it seems like an easy choice, because why would you pay for something you can get for free? The reality is that the comparison isn’t so simple. As someone who is paid to deliver advice, I am heavily biased, but in my opinion, a lot of people can benefit from working with an experienced financial advisor.
Now that the leaves are turning, it means we are full swing into football season. Good football coaches prepare months in advance, and the winning players you see take the field every weekend are the result of hours of hard work. It is one thing to condition players and maybe watch a few clips of an opponent in the film room; truly prepared coaches go further by examining the officiating patterns of the referees in a game to see what rules they can exploit to gain an advantage. In some cases, these coaches even know what an opposing coach is going to do before they do it!
Similarly, when it comes to your retirement, you can benefit from working with an experienced coach who helps create a game plan for all aspects of your financial situation. Look for someone who is well versed in retirement income planning, taxes, healthcare planning, Social Security, investments, insurance, and estate planning. Ideally, you would work with a fiduciary who is obligated to act unequivocally in your best interest.
A full-service relationship with an advisor isn’t for everyone, but you owe it to yourself to explore that option to see if it is right for you. Check out our FAQ for more information.
Brad Sanders has been a lifelong resident of Central PA. He began in the financial services industry in 2007. Prior to that, he attended St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA where he was also a member of the baseball team. He earned his Certified Financial Planner® certification in 2012 and his Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designation in 2013.