20 Myths About Working With a Financial Planner or Advisor

Myths about working with a financial advisor abound, maybe you've even heard a few:

• "I don't need one"
• "They're for the wealthy"
• "There are lots of hidden fees"

The truth is that financial education around saving and investing money is for everyone. Even though everyone has different perceptions and expectations about a financial advisor’s purpose, the goal remains the same: getting your money to work for you.

The sooner you start, the better. Developing good financial habits now, helps to prevent major catastrophes later. Here are some myths about working with a financial planner and financial advisor that you may have heard or even thought yourself.

1. Wealthy is a high bank balance. Your wealth isn't simply just the sum of the money you have in your checking account. When evaluating wealth, all of your assets are taken into consideration, and a better term to use is net worth. At the end of 2013, American 401(k) balances averaged over $100,000. The median contributions during the same time were slightly more than $30,000.¹


2. I can’t afford a financial planner or advisor. The reality is, you can’t afford to be without one. A financial planner or advisor helps manage your finances, including student loans, credit cards, retirement savings or real estate investments, and works to put on a path to achieving goals, even those you haven't thought of or considered yet, and living comfortably during your retirement.


3. An advisor guarantees returns. They don’t. They put you in a better position for making good financial decisions for short- and long-term planning. There is never a guarantee, and if anyone is telling you they'll get you something for sure, run as fast as you can.


4. They provide shortcuts to making money. Not true, although market predictions exist, no one knows for sure. Advisors can get you closer to your goal, but you need to understand the risks and measurements of time required.


5. There are always hidden fees. Ask for complete details on all-in fees for each consultation or transaction. This is your money, your future — don’t be shy about it. Choose wisely and ask questions about the forms of payment. Escient Financial, as a fee-only financial planning firm and registered investment advisor, has a very simple and transparent fee structure. Escient Financial also focuses on providing lower cost investments for clients and any additional fees or expense ratios of any investments are always communicated to clients.


6. I could do it myself cheaper. Everyone at some point needs professional help. There’s more to financial planning than making a deposit. It’s about knowing how to manage the funds for growth. Escient Financial's focus is to help you achieve your goals as efficiently as possible while keeping costs to a minimum. You don't want all your positive returns to be eaten away by excessive fees in your accounts or high expenses ratios of your investments.


7. Financial advisors are self-motivated. Not always true, a successful advisor succeeds when you reach your goal. Their goal is to educate you on the market choices and how to avoid a financial crisis. Escient Financial exists to help people achieve their goals and have a prosperous future without worrying about money.


8. Financial advisors are only interested in bank balances. This is far from the truth, since most Americans hold assets that continue to outperform the stock market. Your home’s equity, retirement, or savings combined may exceed the average bank balance.


9. Financial advisors are expensive for basic principles and advice. Individual planning is unique to your lifestyle and your situation could have complications. Good advice is not free.


10. Wealth happens overnight. Most of the time, accumulating wealth takes a long time and a lot of work. Working with a long-term financial planner provides a better chance of succeeding with a financially-planned future.


11. You can always start later. It’s never too late to manage finances, but it helps to start early. The earlier you start saving and investing, the less money you need to save and invest each year to achieve your future goals and accumulate enough wealth to live comfortably in retirement. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to achieve your goals.


12. You’ll go broke when the market swings. Not necessarily. Focus on the things you can control and keep an eye on the long-term strategy. Escient Financial focuses on long-term strategies so that if there is a downturn in the market, you'll have time for recovery.


13. Financial advisors always chase the next big investment. True financial planning is about developing and building a comfortable long-term financial plan and involves a realistic investment goal. That's what Escient Financial is all about.


14. Limited budgets need not apply. Talk with an advisor and be honest about the budget. There may be a plan to get you started. Escient Financial has no investment asset minimums and has multiple service tiers to fit different needs. Clients can even change service tiers as their needs change. If you have limited assets and a limited budget for financial planning, you can start with the Starter tier. As your assets grow and your needs change, you can move to higher tiers with more service offerings to help you achieve even greater goals.


15. You have a financial planner – now you can kick back. Wrong. The key to building a secure future includes budgeting and learning. It involves using different money tools like insurance policies and estate planning, as well as making changes to different aspects of your finances and even your life as your situation and needs change, and your situation and needs will change.


16. Social Security and 401(k) contributions are enough. Without financial planning, social security and 401(k) balances may not keep up with the cost of living. The future of Social Security is uncertain, as it's predicted to run out of funding by 2034 at the latest unless Congress steps in to make drastic changes. The drastic changes could range from increasing the full retirement age, changing eligibility, increasing taxes, and/or decreasing how much Social Security will pay in benefits.


17. There's no such thing as future security. Thinking about the future can sometimes be scary, but proper financial planning is about managing circumstances and preparing for life’s transition. Escient Financial develops comprehensive financial plans that are continuously monitored and updated to adjust for changes in clients lives and with the markets to better ensure that clients can achieve their goals and live a prosperous future.


18. I don’t need to know what’s happening. If your financial planner or advisor doesn’t keep you in the loop, it’s time to change. You need to understand the whole picture, complete with details of what works or why it doesn’t. You need a financial planner or advisor that monitors not just your investment accounts, but your entire plan, so that you know when your on the right track for success and when your sliding off the path and need to adjust to get back on the road to achieving your goals.


19. I have no disposable cash. Financial planning isn't just about investments. It's about making your finances more efficient so that your money is working for you, so that you're living more comfortably, and so that you have more cash to achieve your goals and enjoy living your life. You can learn to spend less and smarter to accomplish your future goals. With Escient Financial, regular review meetings are an important part of the financial planning process so that your plan can be adjusted as needed.


20. Financial advisors organize my future for me. It's important that you take part in managing your current finances and planning your future.Financial planning is a collaborative process. Escient Financial: Building Your Future... Together!

Long-term planning and good financial decisions with the help of a professional financial planner is a managed future. Understanding the basics of the financial advice will help to avoid overwhelming mistakes brought on by these myths.

If you'd like to know more about what a financial planner can do for you, feel free to...