document.write('<p><b><font class="heading">Are You Getting Good Financial Advice?</font><br><font class="text"><i>Don’t Just Look At Nu');
document.write('mbers; What’s Your Gut Telling You?</i></b></p><p>It’s not hard to find advice on how to manage your money these days.');
document.write(' You can find plenty of it on the Internet, in books, magazines and newspapers, from well-meaning friends and relatives,');
document.write(' and of course, from professional advisors.</p><p>But while finding financial guidance is easy, judging the worth of i');
document.write('t can be a much tougher task. Even hiring a professional adviser is no guarantee you’ll get great advice. If you’re payi');
document.write('ng someone for a personalized plan, though, you especially want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.</p><p>');
document.write('The true test is whether you reach your goals. But if your goal is decades away – retirement, for example – you don’t wa');
document.write('nt to wait until age 65 to see if you made the right moves.</p><p>I would encourage people to look at their overall si');
document.write('tuation no less than annually and assess the quality of the service they’re getting.</p><p>So what things should you l');
document.write('ook at? Ask yourself these questions when gauging money advice:</p><p>What are the numbers? The most obvious way to ju');
document.write('dge investment advice is by performance. But make sure your expectations are realistic.</p><p>If you have a diversifie');
document.write('d portfolio, you’re going to outperform the worst asset class but under perform the best. With that in mind, don’t look ');
document.write('at just your pure rate of return. You don’t have to be in the year’s highest flying mutual funds and stocks to succeed.<');
document.write('/p><p>Instead, you and your advisor should quantify your goals when creating your financial plan.</p><p>That plan sh');
document.write('ould include periodic, realistic mileposts to check your progress against. If your net worth isn’t growing as fast as yo');
document.write('u’d forecast, examine why. Maybe it was just a down year in the market. Or maybe you’ve been too cautions with your inve');
document.write('stments and need to make a change.</p><p>What does your gut say? Can you stomach the investment risk they’re taking?</');
document.write('p><p>The real key is to remain invested.</p><p> Some discomfort is normal. You’re not going to gain anything without');
document.write(' taking risks. But if you’re so nervous about the risk you’re taking that you cannot stay invested, you need to talk to ');
document.write('your advisor. If you’re always buying at the top and selling at the bottom, you won’t build wealth.</p><p>You also sho');
document.write('uld pay attention if your gut feeling is telling you that your advisor isn’t being honest with you.</p><p>If it doesn’');
document.write('t feel right, it probably isn’t. If your advisor doesn’t listen to you, doesn’t return your phone calls, does some kind ');
document.write('of trading in your account that you didn’t know about, you need to raise your hand and say something.</p><p><b>&nbsp;<');
document.write('br>Have you been following the advice?</b></p><p>If you haven’t put your plan into practice, what’s stopping you? If i');
document.write('t is because the suggestions are too complex, and you don’t understand them or they make you uncomfortable, talk to your');
document.write(' advisor.</p><p>Why pay for counsel you’re not going to use? If your planner won’t listen, you may need to hire someon');
document.write('e else.</p><p><b>&nbsp;</b><b><br>Is the advice clear to you?</b></p><p>I really believe that the way an advisor spe');
document.write('aks to a client is very important. Sometimes people who aren’t confident about something use lingo to make themselves ap');
document.write('pear to be an expert.</p><p>Also, it’s crucial for you to understand the money moves you are making – and why you’re m');
document.write('aking them.</p><p>We need to be responsible for our financial futures. If you abdicate responsibility and say ‘So-and-');
document.write('so will take care of it’ you may find out when it is too late that so-and-so wasn’t taking care of it.</p><p><b><br>Is');
document.write(' your advisor a good listener?</b></p><p>Responsiveness is a key thing. Many people have questions. Are you getting go');
document.write('od answers to those questions?</p><p>I would be concerned if an accountant said ‘don’t worry about those details. Just');
document.write(' trust me.’ People are entitled to understand what they are doing and why.</p><p>You should feel comfortable enough wi');
document.write('th your advisor to ask anything.</p><p>Most of us don’t want to embarrass ourselves or admit we don’t understand somet');
document.write('hing, but it’s very important to feel OK saying ‘I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.’</p>');