How a financial advisor helps you invest

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How a financial advisor helps you invest

When it comes to investing, many people think they can go it alone, either by figuring it out themselves, or by using a so-called robo-advisor. In a great many cases, working with a credentialed, human financial advisor is the better course of action. Here are some of the benefits that you get when you invest with a financial advisor.

A financial advisor knows you — sometimes better than yourself.

Your financial advisor will get to know things about you that you may not be able to assess clearly, such as your risk tolerance, your investment horizon and even your spending patterns and your short- and long-term savings goals. The advisor will use all of this information to select investments that are a good choice for you.

A financial planner helps you diversify

Diversification means investing in different sectors and geographical regions, and holding different classes of investments, such as fixed income products and equities. Diversifying helps because if there’s a decline in one investment, it may be offset by others, which helps to level out dips.

A financial advisor regularly rebalances

As a trained professional, your advisor takes a more disciplined approach than most investors to rebalancing a portfolio on a regular basis. This ensures that as the value of different holdings within the portfolio change over time, the overall composition — the proportion of equities to fixed income, for example — remains consistent and true to your objectives.

A financial advisor can watch out for you

Many investors make mistakes, such as getting out of an uncertain market at the wrong time and locking in losses. A financial advisor provides objectivity and experience to help you know when to sell and when to hold investments, to prevent costly mistakes.

A financial advisor thinks beyond the investments

Whereas robo-advisors and many DIY investors focus on fees and returns when they assess a potential investment, a financial advisor has expertise and access to a network of specialists to weigh many more criteria, including tax implications and estate planning. A well-rounded investment strategy considers the type of accounts different classes of investments are held in to minimize your taxes, for example. An advisor also thinks ahead to what will happen to your investments when you reach retirement, and beyond that to the most favourable way to structure the legacy you plan to leave your family.

A financial advisor is a partner

Doing anything alone is always more difficult than having help. As your partner, a financial advisor will make recommendations but is also open to your ideas and suggestions. After all, it’s your money, and your financial advisor always respects that.

The financial advisors at Carte Wealth Management Inc. will look at your investment plan as one part of your financial whole. They’re carefully trained to ask the right questions to help you develop an investment strategy that’s suitable for your financial situation, taking into account tax considerations and your overall financial plan, including your estate plan. And they will help you adapt your investment plan as your needs change over time.