Does Your Financial Advisor Really Listen?

The starting point for our three-step planning process, The Intentional Life Path™, is simply to listen; to find out where you want to go. We want to hear your experiences around money (good and bad), your vision of an ideal life, and your future goals. This initial phase is all about you!

What is Your Advisor’s Agenda?


It’s not surprising to learn from many clients that come to us that their previous financial adviso r had a different agenda. The agenda was mostly about the advisor, about selling products; not listening.

We find that clients really desire someone to help them work out what they want from life. Usually this involves assisting clients with setting priorities and connecting them to a reliable path to achieve a sense of financial peace of mind.

Financial Peace of Mind


Dimensional conducted an investor survey last year that pulled in almost 19,000 responses. One of the foundational questions asked how clients measured the value received from their advisor. The overwhelming response to this question was “peace of mind and a sense of security.”

But what exactly is financial peace of mind? For many, this means spending more time on life and less time worrying about money. For others, financial peace equates into reducing anxiety around decisions about money.

Related: Will You Run Out of Money?

Creating Balance


Worry and anxiety usually represent tension between living life today and planning for the future . We recognize that investors today want to fully enjoy life, while still progressing along the path to their desired future. Guiding clients to the proper balance between their current wants and future needs is the essence of The Intentional Life Path™.

Related: Financial Peace of Mind: Are We There Yet?

Peace of mind and a sense of security have absolutely nothing to do with purchasing an annuity or the latest/greatest Wall Street investment. Instead, it has everything to do with achieving clarity about where you want to go, what you want to do, and how you get there. Money topics are emotional and discussions about money are often difficult for high-income investors.

That’s what we’re here for: to listen, guide, and plan.