We’ve all heard of the “millionaire next door,” the investor who quietly amasses a fortune by living within his or her means, buying the right securities, and faithfully staying the course through various stock- and bond-market cycles. Perhaps we even know a few such people. This sort of person typically eschews the services of a financial planner, reasoning that his or her own strategy has worked so far, and that the financial planner’s fee is an unnecessary expense. But financial planning by an objective professional — one who has no proprietary products to sell —is an investment that will pay for itself many times over, just like a good security. An adviser will take many things into account when advising a client, including the time horizon (age of the family), its short- and long-term financial goals, and the timing and nature both of cash inflows and outflows. The...
