Starting out your initial financial decisions are relatively simple. Try to save more than you spend, set aside a sensible amount for emergencies, and invest the rest for longer term goals. As you grow and advance in your career the decisions tend to become more complicated. As you near retirement the decisions become even more important, and delaying major decisions can have huge consequences down the road.
Balancing saving for education and family vacations, choosing between different health and life insurance plans, and managing tax and estate planning issues are just a few of the issues to tackle.
A qualified financial advisor can provide support and guidance as your financial situation becomes more complicated. Building a financial plan, providing answers to challenging financial questions and helping you implement the action steps in your plan are three key ways that a financial advisor can help.
Building Your Financial Plan
One of the top benefits of working with a financial planner is creating a written financial plan. Most of us have a general sense of our goals and what we are doing to achieve them, but taking the time to clearly define and write down what we want and how we will achieve is an extremely worthwhile exercise, but it can be a challenging task to do on your own.
Building a financial plan involves analyzing your financial situation (job, savings, investing, debts) and your goals (family, home, travel, retirement) to create a to-do list to make your goals a reality. The process of creating a written plan helps reduce the anxiety that comes from having a hazy picture of your finances and wondering if you are on track or not. Creating an accurate map of your current situation is the best way to identify the next step on your financial journey.
Answering Challenging Financial Questions
An advisor can provide answers to the questions that often paralyze us into indecision:
- Am I saving enough for retirement?
- Can I afford college tuition for my kids?
- Should I pay off my mortgage early?
- Am I on the right track?
- Can I afford to start a family?
- How do I manage my student loans while still investing?
- How much insurance do I need?
If you have any of these questions or concerns you could benefit from meeting with a qualified financial advisor. During the process of creating a financial plan an advisor can provide guidance and answers to these questions as well as other important life decisions.
Implement the Plan and Adjusting Along the Way
Creating a written financial plan is a great first step that can help you gain a clear understanding of your current situation and the actions you need to take. Just as important, is following through and accomplishing the tasks identified in the plan, as well as making adjustments when things change.
Having regular check-ins with a financial advisor can ensure you remain on track towards your goals. Providing ongoing guidance when new situations pop up such as the birth of another child, an unexpected career move or any of the other things that life might throw your way. An advisor can help you make the necessary adjustments so that these changes don’t derail your plan.
Would you benefit from having professional advice when it comes to planning and achieving your financial goals? A financial advisor can guide you along the path to grow and protect your assets, and secure your future.