Nobody wants to hand over the money they worked so hard for without a good reason. Hiring a financial advisor is no different in these times of simple online brokerages and streamlined apps. Since the stock market is as accessible as ever, one may find themselves pondering the necessity of a financial planner. Indeed, however, there is a multitude of reasons why partnering with a financial professional is one of the most profitable long-term investments one can make.
Expertise
Tax Planning
Adding to the overall confusion of wealth management is tax planning, one facet often neglected or ignored by amateur investors, and it’s easy to understand why. Take one look at the tax code – it’s massive, dry, confusing, and intimidating. Even if you were able to obtain in-depth investing knowledge, would you also be able to implement tax optimization strategies?
Many financial advisors do just that – they’re multi-disciplinary professionals, utilizing their understanding of the tax code to minimize taxes and maximize tax-free gains. They’ll help you avoid tax traps set up by the IRS that most Americans know little about – ticking tax time bombs that are designed with the express intent to line Uncle Sam’s pockets with your money.
To help you reduce your lifetime tax burden and understand the IRS tax time bombs now, while there’s still time to do something about them, I’ve written a book called Divorce the IRS: How to Defuse Your Biggest Tax Time Bombs Before You Retire.
My book will show you exactly how to avoid or defuse those time bombs, step by step, so you can make the rules work in your favor and turn the tables on the IRS.
You can request the first chapter for free here.
Time
Emotional Detachment
Most DIY investors trade on emotions. They panic sell and they panic buy, but yet somehow always end up on the losing side of the trade. They are easily convinced that their next purchase will ‘take them to the moon’ and put all their money on one wager, only for their meme stock to crash to zero in a pump and dump scheme. During times of volatility, they let fear control them, selling for a loss and losing years of gains in one fell swoop.
A professional advisor is like the captain of a ship, indifferent to the waves of volatility crashing against their diversified portfolio, staying the course through thick and thin, knowing their proficiency, wisdom, and up-to-date market research will steer the proper course to a happy retirement and beyond. The financial advisor checks his emotions at the door and trades with a cool head. And just like a surgeon shouldn’t perform surgery on a family member because of emotional attachment, an investor shouldn’t manage their own money. It will only lead to irrational behavior. Your nest egg is simply too important to be left to the whims of emotional instability.
Closing Thoughts
We all have that friend or acquaintance who lost their fortune trading options, day trading, or more recently, trading cryptocurrencies. Each and every day, a non-professional thinks they can outperform the wolves of Wall Street who run circles around novices. Don’t be easy prey for them. When it comes to retirement, it’s too important, plain and simple!
There’s no need to be tormented by indecision while determining how to manage your finances. Take the first step down the path of a worry-free tomorrow, today.