In difficult economic times, the last thing that you want is poor financial advice. These are the times when it is crucial to being given advice on what to invest in, where to put your money and how to manage your portfolio. But if there is one that has been hurting the economy from recovering faster, it could be the lack of sound financial advising and planning out there today.
It's a scary reality to face but most of us are not receiving the proper financial advice we need or we deserve. And the first step is recognizing that. So to help you with distinguishing if you've been receiving poor direction from your advisor (or even from close friends), here is our list of 7 Signs You're Getting Bad Financial Advice courtesy of U.S. News and World Report's Rob Russell:
1) Never asked to see your tax return. Tax rates are set to skyrocket in a matter of months, so when's the last time your adviser asked to review your tax return? If you want to take advantage of the tax laws for the informed, then your adviser should be monitoring your tax return every year. Maybe you're missing out on a valuable Roth conversion, missing deductions, or just simply paying too much in taxes. Your tax return is the heartbeat of your financial life. If it's not being reviewed regularly, that's a giant red flag.
2) Portfolio contains only one type of investment. There isn't a one-size-fits-all investment, so your portfolio shouldn't be made up of just one type of investment (mutual funds as an example). Nothing screams "product salesman" as loudly as a single-product portfolio.
3) No distribution strategy for your IRAs. For years, you've had a plan for putting money into IRAs and 401(k)s, but what's your plan for when all that taxable money comes out? Anyone can come up with an investment plan for your pre-tax accounts, but it takes a real pro to make sure a distribution strategy is in place to limit the government's take.
4) Working with a generalist. Does your adviser work with people of all ages and backgrounds? NO ONE can be ALL things to ALL people AND be really good at his job. Cardiologists, for example, get paid more than a family physician because they specialize. The same goes for wealth advisers. A specialist may cost more than a generalist, but you pay for what you get--specialized advice.
5) Same old advice. Still hearing the same thing you heard back in 2008? "Hang in there, it will come back." "It's only a paper loss." You won't hear these excuses from a good, proactive adviser. If your adviser is paid only when your money is invested in the market, what else would you expect from him/her? Isn't it time for a fresh take on wealth management?
6) Hope as an income plan. Want to make sure you don't run out of money in retirement? Then don't trust the Wall Street way of taking 3-4 percent out each year in retirement. Advisers love to show you Monte Carlo simulations to prove that you shouldn't run out of money in retirement. The key word here is "shouldn't." Shouldn't implies hope, and hope is not a plan. Your income and lifestyle shouldn't depend on the markets; they should depend on math. Work with a specialist who builds an income plan using quantifiable mathematics.
7) Weak inflation protection. With interest rates at historically low levels, combined with massive amounts of debt, inflation is on the horizon. If you're near or in retirement, you will be negatively impacted the most. If your adviser hasn't proactively met with you to discuss how to protect your wealth from inflation, that's a warning sign.
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