By Mercury Wealth Management

12/21/2012 Investment advisors seem to be everywhere these days. You probably know you, somewhere in the back of your subconscious, that you need one. The problem is, you may not know exactly why. What is it, after all, that they can do for you?



The other problem is that many people have an incorrect assumption that financial advisors are only for people who are already wealthy. They believe there’s little that an investment advisor can offer someone who doesn’t have much money available. The truth is that it’s the people who have little extra capital who stand to gain the most from learning how to properly invest that money. Here are just a few of the things an investment advisor can do for you.



Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Financial Situation



Your financial situation is something you’re right in the middle of. It’s personal to you. It’s very hard for you and your spouse (if you have one) to objectively look through the current state of your finances because you’re both too close to the issues at hand. However, it is necessary to get things under control and figure out a future that will be acceptable to both of you while also maintaining a present state of finances that you can both find agreeable as well. Financial advisors can offer a lot of advice designed to help you both see things through less emotionally charged eyes.



Help You Identify Your Financial Goals



While it’s great if you walk in knowing what your specific goals are so that your planner only needs to help you come up with a feasible means of accomplishing those goals, part of his (or her) job is to help you dig a little deeper in order to find a few financial goals that might not have been showing up on your radar while also clarifying any potential misunderstanding. Clarity is vitally important when creating a financial plan for your family’s future.



Create a Customised Investment Plan to Meet Your Needs



Once you’ve identified your goals and assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the current affairs of your pocketbook, it’s time to come up with an effective plan of action that takes into account your current financial picture, likelihood of growth in the future, and the type of retirement lifestyle you envision along with the means you’ll have upon retirement (the assets and debts you’re likely to carry into retirement with you).



These are the reasons it’s so important to hire a solid investment advisor from the very beginning. There is too much riding on your retirement to take the big risk of doing it yourself.