NavStar Currents

What do you expect from your financial planner?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard something like, "I've got $75,000 from selling a house. What should I do with it?" Many times the person who will ask me that kind of question is a relative stranger.

Financial planning is a process. Some would say it's more of an art than a science, but it's still a defined process. The question above does not contain enough information for me to give a reasonable ethical answer. As a Fiduciary, I need to know what your financial situation looks like now, what your goals are for the future, your tolerance for risk, where you are in life, and more. Only then can I make any sort of recommendation. That's why it's important to provide your planner with accurate information. The financial plan that I come up with is only as good as the information you give me. You tell your doctor what is bothering, don't you? Why would you withold information from the person who is formulating your financial plan?

It's Just Math (isn't it?)

Why on earth would anyone pay a fee to have a financial advisor help them? After all, isn't it just a matter of common sense? As one gentleman once exclaimed to me, "It's just math."

As someone who hates to pay for anything that I can do myself, I feel your pain. But it just may be that we need to turn this rock over a bit more and look under it. 

There's no reason to believe that just because you know how to quantitatively analyze a math problem with more than six variables, that you are familiar with the tax code, which even Albert Einstein said was "more philosophy than mathematics."

The typical electrical engineer would not be expected to understand how it's possible to generate a consistently positive growth in an IRA north of 7% without market risk.

Your average rocket scientist, if there is such a thing, might be surprised to find that there are ways to prevent the government from taking a large chunk of money from his family after he dies.

You see, the math is easy. It's the financial expertise that's missing. Just because you are a prodigy in your own field doesn't mean you are an expert in all the mysteries of the universe.

It's Just Math (isn't it?)

Why on earth would anyone pay a fee to have a financial advisor help them? After all, isn't it just a matter of common sense? As one gentleman once exclaimed to me, "It's just math."

As someone who hates to pay for anything that I can do myself, I feel your pain. But it just may be that we need to turn this rock over a bit more and look under it. 

There's no reason to believe that just because you know how to quantitatively analyze a math problem with more than six variables, that you are familiar with the tax code, which even Albert Einstein said was "more philosophy than mathematics."

The typical electrical engineer would not be expected to understand how it's possible to generate a consistently positive growth in an IRA north of 7% without market risk.

Your average rocket scientist, if there is such a thing, might be surprised to find that there are ways to prevent the government from taking a large chunk of money from his family after he dies.

You see, the math is easy. It's the financial expertise that's missing. Just because you are a prodigy in your own field doesn't mean you are an expert in all the mysteries of the universe.

Is your time important to you?

Have you ever scheduled a service call only to have them tell you that someone will stop by your home sometime between 8AM and 5PM....as long as they can get to you that particular day? Aargh!!

If you're like me, your time is a very valuable resource to you. Few things get my goat like someone presuming that they know better how to spend my time than I do. Come on. In this day of instant communication can't we do better than this?

It might come as a surprise to your cable technician, but many TV viewers have jobs. We might even consider it more important to keep that job than to watch Dr. Phil's latest episode about gender-confused insecure college dropouts who hate their lives. 

When you need to see a doctor you must take time off from work. Your car needs repair and you have to be absent from work...again. Your aging parent needs care, and ...well, you get it.

My Bias is Showing

I'll have to begin this blog by pointing out that if you are looking for a completely unbiased opinion of NavStar, this ain't it. I realize that objectivity is everything these days, and we are constantly told that we should "keep an open mind." After the last election season, I've come to the conclusion (which blows that whole open-mind thing) that some of our minds are so open that the wind blows in one ear and out the other. 

NavStar Financial Services is my baby. I have built it from scratch and not every day has been glorious and fulfilling. There has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears along the way, and I'm grateful for every client that I have today. So don't expect me to be unbiased about it. And so, keeping that in mind...here goes.

What do you expect from your financial planner?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard something like, "I've got $75,000 from selling a house. What should I do with it?" Many times the person who will ask me that kind of question is a relative stranger.

Financial planning is a process. Some would say it's more of an art than a science, but it's still a defined process. The question above does not contain enough information for me to give a reasonable ethical answer. As a Fiduciary, I need to know what your financial situation looks like now, what your goals are for the future, your tolerance for risk, where you are in life, and more. Only then can I make any sort of recommendation. That's why it's important to provide your planner with accurate information. The financial plan that I come up with is only as good as the information you give me. You tell your doctor what is bothering, don't you? Why would you withold information from the person who is formulating your financial plan?

It's Just Math (isn't it?)

Why on earth would anyone pay a fee to have a financial advisor help them? After all, isn't it just a matter of common sense? As one gentleman once exclaimed to me, "It's just math."

As someone who hates to pay for anything that I can do myself, I feel your pain. But it just may be that we need to turn this rock over a bit more and look under it. 

There's no reason to believe that just because you know how to quantitatively analyze a math problem with more than six variables, that you are familiar with the tax code, which even Albert Einstein said was "more philosophy than mathematics."

The typical electrical engineer would not be expected to understand how it's possible to generate a consistently positive growth in an IRA north of 7% without market risk.

Your average rocket scientist, if there is such a thing, might be surprised to find that there are ways to prevent the government from taking a large chunk of money from his family after he dies.

You see, the math is easy. It's the financial expertise that's missing. Just because you are a prodigy in your own field doesn't mean you are an expert in all the mysteries of the universe.

Is your time important to you?

Have you ever scheduled a service call only to have them tell you that someone will stop by your home sometime between 8AM and 5PM....as long as they can get to you that particular day? Aargh!!

If you're like me, your time is a very valuable resource to you. Few things get my goat like someone presuming that they know better how to spend my time than I do. Come on. In this day of instant communication can't we do better than this?

It might come as a surprise to your cable technician, but many TV viewers have jobs. We might even consider it more important to keep that job than to watch Dr. Phil's latest episode about gender-confused insecure college dropouts who hate their lives. 

When you need to see a doctor you must take time off from work. Your car needs repair and you have to be absent from work...again. Your aging parent needs care, and ...well, you get it.

My Bias is Showing

I'll have to begin this blog by pointing out that if you are looking for a completely unbiased opinion of NavStar, this ain't it. I realize that objectivity is everything these days, and we are constantly told that we should "keep an open mind." After the last election season, I've come to the conclusion (which blows that whole open-mind thing) that some of our minds are so open that the wind blows in one ear and out the other. 

NavStar Financial Services is my baby. I have built it from scratch and not every day has been glorious and fulfilling. There has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears along the way, and I'm grateful for every client that I have today. So don't expect me to be unbiased about it. And so, keeping that in mind...here goes.

What do you expect from your financial planner?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard something like, "I've got $75,000 from selling a house. What should I do with it?" Many times the person who will ask me that kind of question is a relative stranger.

Financial planning is a process. Some would say it's more of an art than a science, but it's still a defined process. The question above does not contain enough information for me to give a reasonable ethical answer. As a Fiduciary, I need to know what your financial situation looks like now, what your goals are for the future, your tolerance for risk, where you are in life, and more. Only then can I make any sort of recommendation. That's why it's important to provide your planner with accurate information. The financial plan that I come up with is only as good as the information you give me. You tell your doctor what is bothering, don't you? Why would you withold information from the person who is formulating your financial plan?