When people think about the value of a financial planner, the first thing that often comes to mind is the investments. Did the portfolio grow? Did the advisor save the client money on taxes? How risky is the portfolio? These are all important questions, but they don’t tell the whole story.

Some of the most valuable things a financial planner provides are difficult to measure. They don’t show up on an investment statement or a tax return. Instead, they can be found in the confidence that comes from having a plan, the accountability to follow through, and the peace of mind that comes from having someone to call when life doesn’t go according to plan.

A Second Set of Eyes

We make financial decisions all the time. Some are small, while others can have a lasting impact on our financial future. Buying a home, retiring, changing jobs, receiving an inheritance, or helping a child financially can all bring a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Even with thorough research, it is incredibly difficult to view your own major life decisions objectively This is where having a second set of eyes can be valuable.

An advisor doesn’t necessarily need to tell you what decision to make. Instead, they can help you ask the right questions to achieve your goals. What impact will this have on the rest of your financial plan? Are there any risks you haven’t considered? Does this decision align with what you are ultimately trying to accomplish? Our goal is to help you uncover all the facts, so that you can make your best decision.

Sometimes the most valuable question a planner can ask is simply, “Have you thought about this?”

Helping Keep Emotions in Check

Investing can be an emotional experience. When markets are rising, it can be exciting, tempting you to think you should take more risk. When markets fall, it can feel scary, making you feel like you need to do something immediately. Neither reaction is optimal.

One of the benefits of having an advisor is having someone who can provide perspective when emotions are high. A good financial plan accounts for market downturns before they happen, rather than trying to figure out what to do after the market has already fallen. The same principle applies outside of investing. Major life decisions can be emotional and having a neutral third party who knows your history and values can help you slow down and think through the consequences. Preventing one major financial mistake can sometimes be more valuable than earning an extra percentage point of investment return.

Accountability Matters

Knowing what you should do and actually doing it are two different things. Maybe you know you should increase your retirement contributions. Maybe you have been planning to update your estate documents, review your insurance, pay down debt, or build up your emergency fund. These are all important tasks, but they can be easy to put off. Having someone to help you stay accountable can make a difference.

Financial planning isn’t a one-time event. Your income changes, your goals change, and life changes. Regularly reviewing your plan helps ensure that the decisions you made several years ago still make sense today. Sometimes having someone ask, “Did you ever get around to doing that?” is exactly the push you need.

Making Complex Decisions Simpler

Financial planning can become complicated quickly. Investments, taxes, insurance, retirement planning, Social Security, estate planning, cash flow planning, and employer benefits can all interact with one another. You can certainly spend the time learning about each of these topics yourself. However, most people don’t want to spend their free time becoming an expert in every area of personal finance.

A planner’s job isn’t necessarily to make your financial life more complicated. In many cases, it is the opposite. A good financial plan should help turn a complicated collection of financial decisions into a clear path forward.

Peace of Mind

Perhaps the most difficult benefit to measure is peace of mind. Having a financial plan doesn’t mean you will never worry about money. Markets will still fluctuate, unexpected expenses will still happen, and life will continue to throw surprises your way.

What a plan can provide is a framework for dealing with those surprises. Instead of wondering, “Can I afford this?” you can look at your plan and understand how the decision fits into your larger goals. Instead of wondering what to do when markets fall, you already have a strategy in place.

Planners also offer immense peace of mind to the spouse who handles less of the daily finances. Often, one partner carries the bulk of the financial management. It brings great comfort to know that if the non-financial spouse outlives their partner, someone will be right there to guide and support them. That peace of mind is difficult to put a dollar value on.

Wrapping It All Up

Investment returns, tax savings, and investment costs can all be measured. Confidence, accountability, perspective, and peace of mind are much harder to quantify. This doesn’t mean the measurable parts of financial planning aren’t important. They certainly are. But when evaluating the value of a financial planner, it is worth looking beyond the numbers. Financial planning is ultimately about more than managing a portfolio. It is about helping you make informed decisions with your money so that you can spend less time worrying about what you should do and more time focusing on the things that matter to you.

At The Arkansas Financial Group, we believe that a good financial plan should do more than tell you how your investments are performing. It should help you feel confident about where you are today and where you are going tomorrow. Please let us know if we can do anything to help.

Jake Spradlin, CFP®

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The Arkansas Financial Group, Inc. is a Fee-Only Financial Planning Firm located in Little Rock, AR serving clients in Arkansas and throughout the country.

Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by The Arkansas Financial Group, Inc. [“AFG]), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this commentary will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this commentary serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from AFG. AFG is neither a law firm, nor a certified public accounting firm, and no portion of the commentary content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of the AFG’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees continues to remain available upon request or at www.arfinancial.com.

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