When & why do I really need an IFA?

By: Cleona Lira on 10 th November, 2014 “When & why do I really need an IFA to get financial advice ?”

I was asked this question recently by a prospective client and  thought it would be useful to post my response here.

1. Do you really need Financial Advice?

If you are clear on what you want and know you could easily do it yourself then perhaps you are not seeking an ‘adviser’.

Financial advisers are not order takers. We recommend financial products that are suitable for you after assessing your situation and after a thorough fact-find. If you know exactly what you want and how to get it, perhaps you are not seeking advice but execution in which case it is questionable whether you need an ‘adviser’.

2. When do you need an IFA? When is it financial advice?

Here are some examples that spring to mind of when you may really need an IFA:

• If you are looking to transfer a pension & do not know what to do next

• If you need a mortgage but have no idea how to navigate the various choices available or where to find the best rates

• If you are interested in investing but do not know how to set up an ideal portfolio or define the risk you are comfortable to take

• If you need to talk to someone about the level of life insurance to take, then find the cheapest plan

• If you need a critical illness policy, are concerned about having hereditary conditions in the family such as diabetes and would like someone to pre-screen the most suitable providers for you

• If you need to invest a sum of money but are unclear about how to construct the ideal portfolio

3. Is it your area of competence?

Sometimes clients understand clearly what they need but this isn’t something they deal with day in, day out. People lead busy lives earning a living, they do not necessarily read the financial pages or care about the intricacies of capital gains tax. So, they may miss out on important, essential steps in financial planning. Often, I see clients not putting a life insurance policy in trust or not placing their investments in ISA’s. A good, competent IFA will not only ensure you have a great financial plan but also find the most effective way for you to achieve this. So, in the examples above, to make your financial planning smarter, you would need an IFA.

A good analogy to reflect on is if you were in a plane that was about to crash, would you rather have a pilot with 20 years of experience? Or would you rather have one with a manual he found on the internet?

DIY can take you so far but when panic sets in, it is useful to have a calm professional who can talk you into making choices that are good for you in the long run.

 4. Adding value over the longer term is another reason why you need an IFA

My belief is that trust with an adviser takes a long time to build. The clients that trust me most have met me multiple times over the years. As I get to know my clients better, I add value in various ways often challenging their psychology and some of their limiting beliefs around money.

I would imagine this is the case with most IFA’s…that value is added over time. It could simply be a call to say “I notice that the bank you are with for a mortgage has a better rate you can swap over to with a phone call”. Or inspiring them to be ISA Millionaires like John Lee who I think writes great columns in the weekend FT or talking about retirement planning tips in a way that makes a client want to take action.

To summarise, if you want to work with a professional in the field of financial planning, take your time to find an IFA that works for you if that is what you really need. It can lead to a great long term relationship that helps you over time.

A lot of clients do not really take action unless they are inspired to do so; in my humble opinion, a good IFA helps the client make good decisions and take great action.

To quote Tony Robbins, “A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided”.