Every so often, I’ll get a call or have someone come into the office and say they want to bring their spouse in for a meeting, but they’re not really sure how or if we can help them, and then they pause. I long ago stopped filling that pause with all the reasons why and how we can help them. Instead, I’ve learned that the best approach is often to simply ask, why? While the responses I receive vary, the storyline is predictable. Here it is.
I have had a couple of conversations recently with people who have come to the same conclusion about 2022. It goes like this: the financial markets have tanked, they have made no progress whatsoever toward their long-term investment goals, and they’re declaring the year a total loss.
If you Google “questions to ask a financial advisor,” you’ll find a plethora of articles out there listing out dozens of things to ask your new financial professional. There are so many that we’ve randomly pulled three and put them here, here and here. Even if you don’t read further, at least you have that. This strategy also works for accountants, and probably for your plumber or electrician. And while we haven’t tried, it might also work for your proctologist.
I recently introduced the classic board game Axis and Allies to my sons. Michael, my third-grader, asked to be Russia, and I was happy to let him. When it comes to his turn, as head of Russia, the first thing he did was invade Ukraine. I shouldn’t have been surprised – this is the same kid I used to hear randomly announcing (while floating in a sea of bubbles in the bathtub) that Amy McGrath was “too liberal for Kentucky!” Remember those ads? Can’t say he’s not paying attention! The daily flow of nonstop media really does affect us all.
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