For those first diving into the world of investments and wealth management, a common question arises: What exactly does a financial advisor do?
This post will hopefully answer this question while providing a general overview of the many things an advisor offers you.
The Basics of Financial Advisors
Think of a financial advisor like you would a partner in your investing and financial future. For instance, what if you were hoping to retire in the next 10 years, but you weren’t sure if it was possible? A financial advisor can help you understand where you are — and set a plan up to meet your goal.
The idea is that advisors are your financial ally. They want to help you realistically plan for and achieve financial, investing, and retirement objectives for you and your family. You and your advisor will work together to understand all the steps you’ll need to take to reach the financial goals you set for yourself.
What About an Absolute Beginner?
What if you’re just starting out, and you don’t really know what sorts of goals to set? Don’t worry, advisors can help you at this stage, too.
Advisors partner with clients who are first setting up their planning all the way to those in retirement.
Education and Advising
A financial advisor does more than just manage and oversee your portfolio. Part of their job is to educate you about the financial matters related to your goals.
This includes a wide variety of elements like retirement accounts, stock market and other investment avenues, how to set goals, and common pitfalls to avoid. Their goal is not only to help you get where you want to be — but also to learn and understand why that is the case.
Developing a Financial Plan
One of the most critical aspects of a financial advisor’s job is to develop your financial plan. This plan represents the what, why, and how of your money:
- What you want to do with your money
- Why a certain strategy is important
- How you and your advisor will move you forward
You’ll typically have an introductory assessment to help start the mapping out of your plan. This achieves the following:
- It shows you where you are right now with assets, liability, and net worth.
- It recaps where you plan to go.
These elements are further refined by learning about your tolerance to risk, your family situation, anything related to your estate planning, and other potential issues that could impact your finances. From here, you will have a solid start to your financial plan.
As life takes you forward, you will likely need to adjust, stay on course, or respond to something new or unexpected. A financial advisor can work to help in any of these situations.
What’s in It for Them?
Of course, another related question from all this help is: what’s in it for the advisors? Financial advisors have multiple plans and price points depending on your needs.
Some advisors have a flat rate of, for example, 1% of your earnings from investments. Others may charge percentages alongside hourly rates for consultations.
You’ll need to speak with your financial advisor to understand your management account fees.
How Do I Get Started?
Ready to learn more about how financial advisors can take you where you want to go for your financial future? The team at Delta Capital Management is here to help.
Our team prides itself on the knowledge, expertise, and commitment we bring to every client we serve. Reach out today to learn more about all the options we have available.
