Why should consumers continue to turn to a professional in a world where online investing tools are ubiquitous? A wealth advisor offers a breadth of experience and direction that an individual simply does not possess through intuition or osmosis. In the same way that most consumers rely on an expert to help us sell a home or prepare a will, a financial advisor has the education, suite of tools, and holistic view to add value and help clients succeed online.
Annual Rebalancing
Maintenance is a crucial part of investing in the online environment. Every year your advisor will help you rebalance your portfolio in preparation for the upcoming year. Things will change fast when the new year comes around, and it’s vital to address it for the value of the portfolio.
It’s natural for different investments to bring in varying rates of return over time. Changes in the stock to bond ratio may result in an unbalanced portfolio. Investment preferences may not be the same as at the start of the year, and funds may not grow equitably, making a rebalance necessary to re-align with the investment strategy.
Rebalancing means losing emotional ties with the investments, something your financial advisor should be comfortable with in their professional capacity. Purchasing investments in pieces, rather than making a large investment all at once, will allow price blending and share cost averaging to mitigate risk and balance costs.
Help Behavioral Missteps
Behavioral missteps are one of the most critical items to keep in control for the improved value of an asset. A financial advisor should serve as a coach, guiding you in the right direction and helping you correct any ill-informed investing decisions you may have made along the way.
Many investors get caught up in trends or fervor around a specific investment or sector. They end up buying high and selling low without the advice of an advisor. A professional can step in as a mediator, guiding clients in the right direction and adding value by setting them up for ideal choices in the future.
Estate Planning
It’s critical to include estate planning when considering your portfolio. Doing this protects you and your investment future. An estate plan is vital no matter how healthy or secure you may think you are. It never hurts to be ready for the unexpected.
As online investing grows, it continues to be easier to keep track of estate-related documents. Software development continually optimizes the process for advisors and clients alike in the investment universe.
Planning now in this arena will lead to value over time. A good advisor will get this in order along with everything else. Estate planning is a valuable map for the future.
Risk Mitigation
Risk mitigation and insurance planning are often overlooked in online investing. Insurance protection is an important benefit advisors can offer, as it will provide crucial protection if an emergency arises.
Wealth planning, insurance, and risk management all fit into the equation. There’s room for disability insurance, life insurance, health insurance, umbrella policies, and more. Planning your future with a financial advisor is the key to long-term success with a holistic view for your future.
Strategic Asset Allocation
Being strategic with asset allocation is another way advisors can add value to your portfolio. When you have an advisor on your side, you can share your unique financial situation, and receive advice customized to your needs.
For example, you might have a disproportionate share of your assets in a single stock, perhaps your (former) employer offered options or shares as part of an incentive. An advisor can help mitigate your unnecessary risk by helping you to redistribute across investments and markets. Strategic money choices can grow your income while minimizing your risk of loss should an investment fare an unforeseeable loss.
On the other hand, short-term strategies and long-term ones are dramatically different. If you’re just starting out, preparing to send children off to school, or getting ready to retire, your needs will be dramatically different. So should be your investment strategy.
Strategic asset allocation is critical as the world of online investing grows. There are many places for clients to put their funds, but very few ask for help and make poor choices. A good advisor can give clients a strategy for their payments.
Tax-Smart Choices & Tax Planning
It’s critical to help add value by helping a client make tax-smart choices, especially in a world where online investing is so big. An advisor can add value by paying attention to when an asset should be sold, what should be invested in, and picking assets that don’t have a massive tax footprint.
Clients cannot avoid paying taxes. However, a good advisor can add value by helping them make intelligent choices with tax-free and tax-efficient investing options. It’s critical to work smarter instead of harder with taxes.
And while they may not be able to make doing taxes any easier, it is possible that they can help you pay fewer taxes at the end of the fiscal year. They can help you with items like Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, and charitable bunching strategies to increase the value. There are many ways to improve tax payments with planning.
Reduction of Costs
Advisors can add value by looking for ways to reduce costs in investments.
An advisor should define their methodology and value with you to make the best possible choices for your investment portfolio. The more that can be cut to reduce investment costs, the more money there will be to funnel into more critical categories. Which funds have both comparable options and excessively high fees? A professional will know the answer that an online advisor may not even think to ask.
Of course, it’s critical to be smart about reduced investment costs. An advisor should analyze the portfolio to determine what items should stay and which ones need to go. Reduction of costs can change your outcome dramatically.
Product Access
Product access means that investors have access to a broad range of products and services. These items can help you get ahead with your investments and assist you in preparing for the future ahead. Product access is something many don’t realize they need until it’s too late… and they’re unprepared.
A few examples of products online investors may seek access to from their advisor:
- Financial planning calculator to prepare for necessary investments and savings
- Tax planning service for preparation for the taxes of the year
- Investment funds for saving and spending money
- Insurance products for the defense of products
Consolidation
Consolidating assets and information can bring unexpected value to an investor. When discussing finances, consolidation is the process of finalizing your most critical paperwork in a portfolio. It gets everything in line and easy to access, no matter what you’re on the hunt for in life.
Although consolidation may not add value right away, this technique makes it simpler for those you trust to access information if something unexpected were to happen. It’s a process that can take some time, but it’s vital to inform the client that the work is worth it for the long haul. The work put in now will come in handy later down the line.
General Financial Planning
General financial planning is one of the best ways an advisor can help. This process addresses your goals and puts the advisor in a position to get everything organized and in line. Most people who have a financial planner in their life feel more confident in their future than those who don’t.
Goal-based plans are an excellent way to speak with clients. It puts them in the driver’s seat and allows them to help add value to their portfolio. It’s a solution that varies by client and can help fix uncertainties.
Knowledge of How to Add Value is Critical
In a world where online investing tools have become so accessible, advisors have really stepped up their game to provide as much guidance and value to clients as possible. They partake in strategic asset allocation, reduce costs, and help with tax-smart choices. They can work on estate planning, set up annual rebalancing, and help fix behavioral missteps.
An excellent advisor can help an individual meet their financial goals, even in the tightest of situations. By adding value to a portfolio, advisors improve the financial stability of the client’s future and help them prepare for the unexpected. A changing world means that added value matters more to clients today.
Ready To Take The First Step In Preparing For Your Financial Future? Let’s Talk.
At Sustainable Retirement Income, we’re here to help individuals of all financial conditions get ready to meet their financial objectives. Our core services are comprehensive planning, tailored solutions, best-in-class portfolio management, and premium service. Our client’s needs and the solutions we provide are across the financial services spectrum: growth of capital, capital preservation, income, college funding, retirement planning, estate planning, risk management, philanthropic giving, etc.
I would welcome the opportunity to be your source of advice. Let’s start a conversation!