Being ready for the financial planner

This is from experience – the advantage of meeting 5000+ people is enumerated here 1. Have a realistic expectation from the financial planner (see yesterdays post) 2. Know what to expect from a planner 3. If you do not have your data in an organized manner, the planner is not likely to spend time organizing [...]

Financial Planner: Do you need one?

Or Why you do not need an investment consultant ! If you need bypass surgery, you should find the most qualified surgeon available. If you’re getting sued, you should hire the best defense lawyer in town.These 2 are fairly obvious and I do not think you can do your own root canal surgery, brain surgery [...]

IFA: What next?

What will the IFA (Independent Financial Adviser) do now that the entry load has been abolished? They will sell life insurance till 2011. Once that also becomes fee based he will not know what to do. Correct? Well yes and no. IFAs are perhaps the most agile persons in the whole chain of getting the [...]

Financial Advisor: Role

Financial inclusion, Financial Advisory, Financial planning, Financial planner, Financial literacy….vow these are the catch words today is it not? And all the financial product manufacturers, bankers, websites, etc. are now getting into all of these in some form or the other. It is politically a great sales pitch. However it reminds me of an English [...]

Retirement needs! A reminder about retirement plan

Are you in Denial mode regarding your retirement financial needs? I cannot comment for every one, but too many people I meet are in denial about their financial needs for retirement. Most of us do not want to accept that we will buy 3-4 washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators, maybe about 2-5 cars, at least [...]

Financial advisors: The other side

Media loves to bash the financial advisors. The main accusations about FAs are – they sell products which the clients do not need, they sell products which have the highest commissions, they do not know all that they should know….etc. Let me now bat for the FA. A good FA should be well qualified (let [...]