Choosing a Financial Advisor: The Value of Partnership over Projections

Do you need to get a financial plan from a financial advisor before you hire them? There’s a case to be made for expecting a plan before you make that type of commitment…

From an investor’s perspective, I can understand wanting to know what the future may look like, what options are available, and how can you know before you say “Yes!” that you can trust an advisor.

There’s only one problem: As fiduciaries and CFPs, my team and I cannot legally provide you with anything called a “financial plan” until we have a signed contract.

“But, Hilary, does that mean you can’t truly help anyone unless they’re a client?”

No, there are many ways our team can engage with you as a prospective client while we’re getting to know each other. While we can’t provide any non-clients with a “financial plan”, please know that doesn’t mean we are limited in our abilities or willingness to engage with you.

Every conversation we have with clients and prospects alike is crafted from decades of collective experience with our team.

Because we made a commitment to our clients, and in a way, a commitment to our prospective clients as well.

We are committed to helping investors like you make the appropriate changes to your financial life so how you think, act, and react to money is fully aligned with the life you want to live.

We are committed to help you be financially empowered, happy, and supported in your dream to achieve anything.

Even if we could give you a financial plan before you become a client, we likely still wouldn’t for one key reason…

A financial plan is only as valuable as the process used to develop that plan. A financial plan that is valuable to you is an expression of – an outcome of – a trusted and ongoing partnership.

We trust that the clients we provide with financial plans are the right fit to work with us. We also believe that clients who expect a financial plan from us know we are operating as true fiduciaries, partners working together toward their financial goals.

A partnership with us will have you achieve your goals. Period.

There are few requirements for sharing portfolio performance projections, virtually anyone who calls themselves an ‘advisor’ may feel free to share those types of predictive documents.

Many advisors who share those types of documents aren’t as upfront about the disclaimers attached to those documents. What do those disclaimers tell you as an investor?

An advisor who sends you those types of documents, along with their representative entity, in no way holds themselves accountable to producing a life or financial experience for you that mirrors what’s in those documents.

It’s all because of one key reason: they don’t see your interactions as a partnership.

We believe one of the best investments we may ever make is in our advisor-investor relationship.

We aim to build an uncommon relationship together, teaching you what you need to know about the stock market, economy, financial markets, and their partner industries.

Of course, we could never possibly teach you everything we know. What we can do is advise you to do what brings the results you most want into your life.

This approach only works best if we use wisdom, strategy and poise to engage with three key areas:

1. 1. 1. 1. What has actually happened in the economy…
         2. What has actually happened in the stock market…
         3. And what has actually happened in your financial life.

What makes our team – and your experience with us – remarkably different is our approach to interpreting what’s happening in the stock markets, economy, and global theater.

The key distinction is that we interpret – we do not predict. To do so would be unethical and irresponsible, a grave disservice to your financial future.

No report, portfolio performance predictions, or marketing collateral can sensibly make that claim because no one can predict the future.

Predictive documents without context or a partnership intact are unreliable at best. Basing your decision on who to trust for financial advice on those documents will likely cause you significant disappointment.

You will likely find yourself working with an advisor who does not have your best interests in mind. Instead, they are working for a bank, brokerage, or financial institution whose proprietary products that advisor is required to sell.

What we’re offering you is a true partnership with reasonable expectations, transparent communication, an evidence-based approach to portfolio management grounded in common sense, and a decades-long track record of proven fiduciary excellence.

With our firm, we promise you will experience confidence, peace of mind, and optimism about your financial future.

The choice is yours: would you rather have projections without accountability, or a partnership that can create a wise, sensible plan with your exact goals in mind?

If you’re ready to build a true partnership, our team of financial advisors are ready to have a conversation. Simply click here to schedule a complimentary initial call.