A Financial Advisor Helps You Achieve Your Goals

By Cindy Diccianni, RN, CSA, CLTC

As a Registered Nurse, people often ask me why I became a financial advisor. My personal experience watching my own family suffer financial devastation compelled me to become financially intelligent. Also, I wanted to help others achieve financial success.

If you have never considered your personal financial plan, now is the time to get started. When it comes to saving money, time is your friend; delay is expensive. Many people are approaching retirement without enough money to live in the manner to which they are accustomed. In fact, many people are finding that they cannot afford to retire.

Working just to pay the bills is short-term thinking. It's a survival mentality. A good financial plan will take your future goals for retirement, college planning, buying a home, purchasing a vacation home - and make them a reality. With the right plan, you experience peace of mind and you can achieve your goals.

So, how do you plan properly? Do you know where to start? That is where a financial advisor can help. An advisor has the knowledge, expertise and tools to help you get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future. There are certain things to consider when choosing a financial advisor. And below is the information you need to know.

Choosing a Financial Advisor

1.	Is the financial advisor a Registered Representative? A Registered Representative has a broad knowledge of all aspects of investing, estate planning, asset management and insurance products. You want to choose an advisor who can handle all of these services for you. Registered Investment Advisors charge a fee for their services. This allows the advisor to advise you on products based on your needs, not on the amount of money they might make. The other type of financial service provider is a Financial Planner. Financial Planners are commission based. This means they make money on the sale of products, which may or may not be in your best interests. .
2.	Is your advisor aware of your wants, needs and financial comfort zones? Do they listen well when you speak and do they have a good understanding of your goals? .
3.	Can he/she communicate to you in an understandable manner and be a resource for you? .
4.	Does this advisor come recommended? Personal recommendation is always a plus.

Choosing the right Financial Advisor brings peace of mind. Developing wealth and protecting the assets you have worked so hard for, takes time and with the right advice you can achieve higher levels of financial success.

Meeting With A Financial Advisor

When you initially meet with a financial advisor, you will create a financial plan that will consist of an assessment of the following:

After assessing your current status and clarifying your goals, your financial plan is implemented. Regular evaluations need to be performed. Many issues can impact your financial plan, such as changes in your needs and goals, or unexpected events. Your financial advisor needs to be updated regularly so your plan can be modified to meet your changing needs.

Planning For The Rainy Day

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day earning and spending of money that you can easily delay planning for your financial future. But without a plan, you may not have the money for that "rainy day" that our parents often talked about. By assessing your current status and your needs and goals for the future, creating a plan, and implementing that plan, you will stay focused on your ultimate financial goals.

A financial advisor will help to keep you on course with your financial plan. You'll learn to save your money regularly so that it grows over the course of your working lifetime. Knowing that you are well prepared and well protected enables you to live at ease because you know you will have the money you need when you need it. Consider the benefits of having a financial plan, good sound advice and all the tools to implement the process. That is what a smart financial advisor will do for you.

Cindy Diccianni is a Registered Nurse, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), a Registered Investment Advisor and a Registered Representative with Leigh Baldwin & Company member NASD and SIPC. She is affiliated with Ortner, O'Brien & Ortner Advisory Group, Inc. and co-founder of Nurturing Your Success, Inc. Her passion is assisting clients in creating the financial freedom they dream of. You may visit Cindy at www.nurturingyoursuccess.com or write to her at Cindy@nurturingyoursuccess.com. You may also call her directly at (610) 251-9393.