Before You Pay for Financial Advice, Read This Guide via The NY Times

Earlier this year our firm was featured in The New York Times in an article about fees and the fiduciary rule. Our thoughts in that article were cited this week in another NY Times article about what consumers need to know before paying for financial advice. Generally I thought the piece was helpful and accurate. I will say that consumers need to be chary of hiring a robo-adviser, which is something the article points out as an option to investors. Investing is best done in the context of a financial plan, and a robo-adviser simply cannot give the kind of holistic and adaptable advice that is often necessary for financial success (e.g. When was the last time a robo-adviser monitored a portfolio with a keen eye so that an appropriate amount was converted to a Roth IRA?). Additionally, the article cites that one can get a financial plan in New York for $1,200. Perhaps this is true, but I hardly know a competent financial planner who would do a financial plan for $1,200. Financial planning fees often vary by complexity, and a better estimate would be a range beginning with $2,500 for less complex plans and $5,000 and up for more complex advice. Other than these minor points, I thought the article pointed consumers in the right direction, and I appreciated its focus on the need for sound fiduciary advice.

 

First Posted over here: Before You Pay for Financial Advice, Read This Guide via The NY Times