Well my friends, it has been a few months since I have written a new article. I know…I know…you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting. I read your countless emails begging me to write more articles and I felt immense guilt that I was too busy to write. Wait…you didn’t send me any emails…..it’s okay……It only hurts when I think about it…..which is all the time.

*Author’s note: Read the above paragraph with immense sarcasm.*

I recently met with potential clients who were not happy with their advisor. When I asked them what made them unhappy their response was something like this…

Wife: “Well I kind of inherited him from my father; I mean he is my dad’s advisor so he became mine.”

Husband: “Yeah and I inherited him because I married her.”

Wife: “We really felt like the advice we were getting wasn’t appropriate for us and our personalities didn’t connect. We dreaded going in to see him.”

This is actually quite common when I speak with people regarding how they came to work with their current advisor and are seeking a new one. Maybe it was because they were the family’s advisor, or it was the advisor who was working that day when they walked into their financial institution.

Take a look at your own situation, how did you start working with your advisor?

Now let me ask you this… how did end up with your current spouse or partner?

I am pretty sure you didn’t walk into a coffee shop one day, spot them sitting at a table, walk up and say “You look like marriage material, let’s go, the courthouse is open until 5pm” or maybe you did...

No, chances are you were set-up by friends, used a dating site or swiped right or left.

*Author’s note: I was married by the time Tinder came out so I don’t actually know the correct direction to swipe, don't judge me *

My point is that you most likely “shopped around” before you found the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

So why wouldn’t you do that with your financial advisor?

When you pick a financial advisor you are entering into a long term relationship with that person. A relationship so long it could potentially out last your marriage. Not kidding with this one, I have been with couples before they were married and after their divorce, they actually decide who gets to keep me or can they both continue to work with me on an individual basis.

So why would you stop looking after speaking to the first person you meet?

Your financial advisor is going to help you with emotional financial decisions and help you to reach your financial goals. They are going to know details about you, your finances, your life and your dreams that you may not share with other people. If your personalities aren’t compatible and you “are stuck with them” how successful do you think you will be? How are you going to be willing to work with them and follow their advice?

I remember some advice my mom gave me when I was still in the dating scene…back in the dark ages.

“Caval, dating is lot like choosing what home to buy or rent. At first you think you might be happy in an apartment, but as you live there you realize you don’t like climbing all those stairs and you need more counter space. So your next place is a bungalow. Eventually, after 5 or 6 places you find your dream home with bulging biceps and a nice tush, I mean large windows and lots of closet space and you settle in for the long haul.”

*Author’s Note: For realz...my mom gives the best dating advice*

My point is that you might have to go on a couple of "dates" before you find the advisor of your dreams, but I promise it is worth the hassle. So spend some time with a few different advisors to find one you connect with, ask them questions about themselves and how they run their business. Don’t settle until you find someone you truly connect with.

Find a Financial Advisor you love, put a ring on it and enjoy seeing your financial dreams come true.

Financially Frustrated Seeking Fabulous Financial Advisor