Have you ever met with a financial advisor and wished you had a translator? I know I did a few years ago when my sisters and I spent months interviewing various advisors for some family trusts.
Nice people, all of them. But once they got started, they were speaking in a foreign tongue.
I thought I knew this language. After all, I’ve written 6 books about money, including Finding a Financial Advisor You Can Trust.
But these folks, at various points in the discussion, had my head reeling. Then it hit me.
No wonder so many women aren’t getting the financial help they need. One conversation with an advisor and their heads are reeling too. And their first reaction is often to put their reeling heads right back in the sand.
Consider this blog, in part, a Plea to Professionals. C’mon, you people. Speak in plain English. And then check in with clients at frequent intervals to make sure they understand what you are telling them..
Even as I write that I know that the truth is, the onus is on us.
I am a Big Believer in working with professionals…be it for a root canal or retirement plan. And sometimes the latter can be as painful as the former! But it doesn’t need to be.
Not if we’re willing to speak up, ask for clarification, and keep asking until we understand. Which is exactly what I had to do in those meetings. And you know what? Every expert was happy to explain. And I actually learned a lot.
It all boils down to this. If we don’t understand ‘Financialese,’ it doesn’t mean we’re stupid. It’s simply a sign to ask more questions.
The payoff is clarity. But, I’m here to tell you, the real reward is how powerful you’ll feel for standing up for yourself.
Have you ever found your head reeling while talking to a financial professional ? Leave a comment below to tell me what you did.
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