Time is Money.

Time is at a premium these days, and with work following us on our phones, it can be hard to draw a boundary and embrace quality time outside of the office. If you’re like many dedicated entrepreneurs, this dilemma will resonate. You may feel like you’ve devoted so many hours to building a future for your business that by the time you get to do the things you enjoy, you’re either exhausted or find yourself burning the midnight oil – again.

Managing your personal finances is not an intuitive skill. It can’t be mastered with a quick overnight study. It takes years of rigorous and research to stay ahead of emerging trends and best practices. Who could possibly expect the average, busy, full-time businessperson to take on all of that extra work? Of course, many of us try — because we love our families and want to secure a stable future for them.

Time is Freedom.

Wouldn’t you rather protect your free time and your assets all at once? Wouldn’t you rather go for a hike and picnic with your family on a sunny Saturday afternoon than sit at a desk trying to decide where to invest? Wouldn’t you rather play a few rounds of golf with your buddies and kick back with a beer than try to predict a market you’re not even familiar with?

Of course, you would. But how do you know where to place your money and your trust?

Rather than going to a huge, anonymous, corporate conglomerate, many Americans are placing their faith and their financial futures in the hands of small firms that are fee-only. This honest approach to ensures that the financial advisor you’re working with only succeeds if you do. The advice you receive is unbiased.

But with so many options, how can you identify a trustworthy firm in the first place? Let us share what to look for:

Invested Investors

One surefire way of determining how invested a firm’s advisors are in its overall health is what stake they hold. Ask your advisor what’s in it for them?If your advisor owns equity in the firm, t they are in the business for the long-term. It’s in their best interest to focus on long-term client satisfaction. It isn’t fun to hire professional help and to not hear back from them or for them to not be proactive.

Innovative Insights

If you’re thinking about long-term financial well-being, you want advisors who have their fingers on the pulse of the financial world. But more importantly, you also want a trusted partner who can help you listen to your vision and guide you on the right financial path your individual situation. This is someone who can provide appropriate insight no matter whether the markets are up or down

Relationship Driven

You can go with a cookie-cutter financial plan or opt for a Robo-Advisor, but ask yourself what you want to get out of your financial planning. One of the perks of partnering with a financial advisor is the relationship. This is someone who gets to know you over time. Their understanding of your situation grows with time and the thoroughness of their recommendations follows.  You want advisors who are engaged in your life. They know about that dream vacation you’ve been planning. They understand how your parents’ healthcare factors into your own decisions… They know your kids’ names.

Compassionate Continuity

If you want to leave something behind for your loved ones, you have to take calculated risks. But one of those risks shouldn’t be the continuity of care in your investment planning. Find a firm where continuity is a core precept. Where advisors treat clients, not like numbers, but like family. Where your business means something to the whole firm — not just the advisor they’re working with.

Whatever you have built, a firm like WorthPointe can team with you to build a financial roadmap that aligns with your vision.