Monday, October 08, 2012

Financial Tailor

I have a hard time being interested in financial planning and investing.  Why is that?  I do like the idea of financial security.  I hope that when we retire our children won't have to help us make ends meet.  I want to make our money useful not only to us, but for charities we support.  Nevertheless, my brain kind of glazes over when someone starts talking to me about financial issues.

 Lucky for me, I've got some help now!  Our oldest son, Ben, is a professional in this area.  Maybe it is because we named him after Mike's banker grandfather.  I don't know but he has a serious knack when it comes to money management and financial advising.  He worked for a large,  national bank and helped a lot of people with his knowledge and ability advising them with their investments.  He enjoyed that work but could see areas where things could be done better, ways to better benefit his clients.

Eventually, Ben founded a new company with a new and innovative approach to financial advisement.  I moved my own 401K's to an IRA with his firm.  The banks handling those funds tried to scare me I did it because I trust him.  I know him.  He's a man of integrity.  With  his company, Financial Tailor, I went through a questionnaire that really helped me to know my own financial needs.  I was the one making the choices regarding risk, but I had access to professional knowledge and advice.  Other questions were more of an ethical or moral nature and because of that approach I get to know that my money won't be invested in companies that would upset me.  It was quite in-depth and helped me to think about some things I'd not considered before.  For instance, I do NOT want my money in the tobacco industry.  I also don't want to support companies that put painful shampoos or something in animal's eyes to see if it hurts.  You see what I mean?

I was one of those people who didn't have a clue regarding how much the bank was getting for managing my 401K.   As it turned out, their fees are much higher than those of Financial Tailor.  Financial Tailor, because they are an online company, keeps overhead low.  Don't think for a minute, though, that they sacrifice that personal touch.  You have access to a wealth of information as well as personal advice.

The Financial Tailor Clients have access to a LOT of information.  Their website is loaded with information!  In fact, a lot of that information is available just for visiting their website.They have a newsletter that explains a lot of what is going on in the financial world and why it effects the market.  You can learn tips about hedging and diversification.  You can even ask a question online and receive a personalized reply.

No, I'm still no whizz at investing but I don't have to be.  My investment adviser breaks things down for me into ideas I can understand.   I can learn what I need to know and I can trust that my money is well cared for.  Maybe you should check it out as well!

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