When I talk to a mechanic, I am always amazed at what they know and how quickly they access that knowledge and act on it. I’m not a “car person” and there are many reasons I say that. I haven’t studied engines or the basics of how a car works, I haven’t spent time “under the hood”, and my only interest in cars is that they get me where I’m going safely, comfortably, and cost-effectively. However, because I’m putting my safety, comfort, and car budget on the line, I do want to take care of my car and be sure it gets regular maintenance.
Are there areas in your life where you have a vested interest but are not an expert? I think that is pretty common. Whenever we hire someone to take on a project for us, it is usually because we deem it to be important, but we know we’re not necessarily the most capable one to be doing it. Home repairs, tax preparation, insurance coverage, Medicare decisions, cars, travel planning, and so on...we do it all the time. Other times, we are capable, at least to some degree, but we’re not inclined to do it — tasks such house cleaning, yard work, home health care, child care, and grocery shopping come to mind.
Most of the time, we are comfortable acknowledging what we are capable of doing or are inclined to do and those things we are not. It becomes more difficult, for some reason, when it comes to financial decisions.
- Maybe we wish we were more knowledgeable than we are, so we keep pedaling uphill, hoping to gain traction.
- Maybe we’re reluctant to share our financial information with someone, even when we believe they could help us.
- Maybe we feel like we are experts because we’ve bathed ourselves in street knowledge.
- Maybe we feel like we “should” know more than we do and our lack of knowledge feels like weakness or failure.
- Maybe we just don’t know we need input and assistance — and haven’t even considered utilizing a professional.
For whatever reason, it could be time to reconsider your position and talk to a professional. Back to the car analogy, it is very much like a tune-up. You bring the vehicle in (your account statements and basic financials) and we run it through a diagnostic process, looking for squeaks, codes, trouble lights, etc. After we’ve done some diagnosis, we talk with you and suggest either maintenance items or repairs that should be done. Sometimes, the trip to a mechanic prompts you to buy an entirely different vehicle!
At Faith Investment Services, we don’t specialize in everything. The things we do specialize in include:
- Honest assessment of your financial situation
- Clear, step-by-step analysis of your “trouble lights” with recommendations for change or improvement
- Ongoing relationship with you to help you keep your financial health on track
- Keeping fully abreast of the products and investments that would be most beneficial to our clients so that we can create a customized solution to your needs. We don’t take a cookie cutter approach!
- Educating our clients about financial areas of concern—tax implications, Roth and Traditional IRA options, Social Security decisions, Medicare and Med Supps, college planning, income in retirement, and more.
We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your situation. There are no dumb questions and now is a good time. Contact our office to get started.