I spend $360,000 a year but I have a hard time believing a financial advisor is worth it. Am I wrong?

Is a financial advisor worth it? Many people find themselves asking this question, including a Redditor who spends $360,000 per year. This Redditor recently posted in the Fat FIRE community about withdrawing $30,000 from his investments each month to cover his lifestyle. The 44-year-old currently has a $10 million net worth and $6 million in assets under management.

He previously worked with two financial advisors. The 44-year-old fired his first advisor due to a lack of communication, and he fired the second advisor because of unkept promises. Unlike most people who post about whether financial advisors are worth it, this Redditor has tried to work with them.

Now, he’s asking the Reddit community if these professionals hold any value and if he should work with a third advisor. He’s currently interviewing financial advisors and was eager to hear what commenters thought.

Financial Advisors Can Act Like Psychiatrists 

One commenter referred to their financial advisor as a psychiatrist, and a good advisor can play that role for their clients.For instance, a financial advisor can help you avoid making bad decisions, such as panic selling your investments during a correction. The stock market has historically recovered from each of its dips, but emotions can rattle investors and cause them to abandon long-term strategies.

Financial advisors can also help with other tasks like tax optimization and de-risking your portfolio. It also requires less brain power to manage your money since a trusted professional is doing it for you. Results vary, but you can get somereliable financial advisors if you do enough searching.

Establish That The Financial Advisor Is a Fiduciary

One of the commenters is a financial advisor who recommended doing some research on each financial advisor during the interview process. More specifically, he suggested that you check if the financial advisor is a fee-only advisor and what conflict of interest they may have. The problem with commission-based advisors is that they earn commissions for recommending certain financial products. This creates a conflict of interest where the advisor can recommend an inferior product to receive a commission.

The commenter suggested asking for each financial advisor’s Form ADV or Form CRS, which would contain more information. It’s also good to seek out financial advisors who have CFP, CPA, or CFA in their title.

Keep It Simple With An Index Fund Or A Bogleheads Portfolio

One commenter opined why the original poster would bother with a financial advisor when a Bogleheads portfolio can get the job done. This portfolio consists of three indexes:

• U.S. Total Stock Market Index Fund
• International Stock Market Index Fund
• U.S. Total Bond Market Index Fund

If you’re feeling more aggressive, you can put your money into a benchmark like the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq Composite. The commenter reasons that 90% of professional traders can’t beat the market. Financial advisors can be beneficial to discuss your tax plans and other complex matters, but index funds and ETFs make it easy to invest money and achieve market returns.

You don’t have to make complex investments just because you have a lot of money. The simplest options can be the most effective, and that may be the case in this scenario.

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