Make 2012 the year that counts. Take charge of your personal finances. Begin your financial planning, by taking stock and working out your budget. Cut down on all the unnecessary expenses, and start working on a plan to settle all the expensive credit card loans etc. Review current portfolio and retirement plans. Are you getting the maximum tax rebates.

Review all your current insurance and investment portfolios. Use a Qualified Financial Planner/ Adviser to assist.

The Advisor Value Proposition

Most people lead busy lives and don’t always have the time to do research and develop and stick to a financial plan. As a result, they often turn to financial advisors to assist them to preserve, accumulate and transition their wealth. Financial advisors provide value to their clients in seven distinct ways.

 Expert/specialized knowledge: Advisors deliver financial planning services and advice. Investors can choose from a wide range of financial services. Each of these services requires specialized knowledge, training and experience as well as academic credentials.

Holistic/big picture thinking: Holistic/big picture thinking is more than product knowledge. It involves risk management, tax planning, succession planning, living benefits (such as long-term care insurance and disability) and estate planning. Financial advisors may offer some or all of these services. If they cannot provide a specific service themselves, they often have access to a network of professional colleagues that can assist in these areas.

Partnership: Advisors take the time to understand their clients’ complete financial picture as well as their life and investment goals. Then they work in partnership with their clients to build and implement a financial plan. They work hard to earn and sustain their clients’ trust and to be as responsive and as helpful as possible.

Goal-setting: Advisors help their clients to articulate their personal priorities and to set life goals. Then they apply their professional expertise to develop investment strategies that can help their clients’ achieve their objectives.

Perspective: Advisors give prudent advice based on their depth of knowledge and experience. They are trained to look beyond the latest headline and to remove the emotion from the investing process.

Service: Advisors are focused on doing what is in their clients’ best interests. They are constantly monitoring and managing their clients’ accounts to ensure that they are on track to achieve their goals. Clients can choose from a variety of purchase methods and fee and service structures.

Accountability: Advisors are accountable to and operate in accordance with the rules and regulations imposed by the Financial Services Board, FAIS Act and Collective Investment Schemes Act amongst others. All registered advisors are required to practice in accordance with the rules established by these organizations.