An important indicator of your overall financial wellness is how well you balance spending with saving and investing. You should always keep the end game (retirement) in view while simultaneously being able to enjoy life while saving for your children's college education, if applicable. In order to coordinate all of the pieces of your financial puzzle most effectively, many people choose to work with a financial advisor.
Unlike many other professional partnerships you may form, your relationship with your
financial advisor or financial planner can become more like a friendship. Because many people stay with the same financial planner for years, you can easily feel connected on more than a professional level. This feeling increases if you are also in the same circle of friends or live in the same town.
No matter how much you enjoy the company of your financial planner, if your needs simply aren't being met, you have some decisions to make. You'll either have to explain to your advisor exactly how he's letting you down and what he can change to retain your business, or you can start looking around for someone new.
Reasons to consider leaving your financial planner:
- Distrust - Being able to trust your financial advisor with your money is extremely important. If you're asking questions and not getting answers that feel authentic, that's a red flag.
- Poor communication - While it's true that financial planners are often very busy, if your phone calls and emails go unanswered for lengthy time periods, you're paying for a service that's sub-par.
- Unclear expectations - The best financial advisors will lay out a plan when you first team up with them. The plan should include input from you regarding your specific goals for your assets and what you'd like to see happen. If your advisor never created an investment policy statement for you - it could signal that he's skimping on his other duties as well.
- No contract - As with any professional who provides you with a service that you will be paying for, your financial planner should present you with a clear contract at the beginning of your relationship that outlines his duties to you and what he needs from you as well. Without a contract, you have no way of knowing what to expect.
- Distance - If you've been working with a financial advisor from afar and have recently decided to take a more active role in your finances, letting go may be your only option.
- No fiduciary standard of care - In other words, if your advisor (or his firm) doesn't put your interests ahead of their own, you have a very good reason for finding a new firm.
- Fees - If you're currently unhappy with your advisor's fee structure and this is set by his firm, you may not be able to get the arrangement you're looking for without finding someone new.
- Additional services - Many people today are interested in working with a financial advisor who goes above and beyond making sound investments for them. Tax planning and basic budgeting advice are two services cited by clients who were unhappy with their current financial planning firm.
At
Veitengruber Law, we pride ourselves on our vast network of professionals and we attend networking meetings every month to stay immersed in the financial, legal and real estate markets. We are more than happy to assist you in finding the NJ financial advisor that meets your needs. Give us a quick call [(732) 852-7295], or fill out the
contact request form on our website. We're always here to help!
Image credit: Nicolas Raymond