As a Registered Nurse, people often ask me how I became a financial advisor. My personal experience watching my own family suffer financial devastation compelled me to become financially intelligent. And, I wanted to help others to achieve financial success. If you have never considered your personal financial plan, now is the time to get started. When it comes to saving money, time is your friend; delay is expensive. There are many people approaching retirement without enough money to live in the manner they are accustomed. In fact, many people are finding that they cannot afford to retire.

Working just to be able to pay the bills is short-term thinking. It’s a survival mentality. A good financial plan will take your future goals for retirement, college planning, buying a home, purchasing a vacation home - and make them a reality. With the right plan, you experience peace of mind and you can achieve your goals. So, how do you plan properly? Do you know where to start? That is where a financial advisor can help. An advisor has the knowledge, expertise and tools to help you get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future. There are certain things to consider when choosing a financial advisor. And below is the information you need to know.

Choosing a Financial Advisor
1. Is the financial advisor a Registered Representative? This is important because a Registered Representative has a very broad knowledge base on all aspects of investing, estate planning, asset management and insurance product line. You want to choose an advisor who can handle all of these services for you. Registered Investment Advisors charge a fee for their services. This allows the advisor to advise you on products based on your needs not on the amount of money they might make. The other type of financial service provider is a Financial Planner. Financial Planners are commission based. This means they make money on the sale of products, which may or may not be in your best interests.

2. Is your advisor aware of your wants, needs and financial comfort zones? Do they listen well when you speak and do they have a good understanding of your goals?

3. Can they communicate to you in an understandable manner and be a resource for you?

4. Does this advisor come recommended? Personal recommendation is always a plus.

Choosing the right Financial Advisor brings peace of mind. Developing wealth and protecting the assets you have worked so hard for, takes time and with the right advice you can achieve higher levels of financial success.

Meeting With A Financial Advisor
When you initially meet with a financial advisor, you will create a financial plan that will consist of an assessment of the following:

· Your current assets and liabilities
· Your short term and long-term goals and plans. For example, short-term might include planning a vacation or wedding, buying a house or having a baby; long-term would include college and retirement planning
· Protection of assets, life and long term care insurance, wills and trusts

After assessing your current status and clarifying your goals, your financial plan is then carried out and regular evaluations need to be performed. Many issues can impact your financial plan; changes in your needs and your goals happen with fair regularity and unexpected events can impact your plan. Your financial advisor needs to be updated regularly so your plan can be modified to meet your changing needs.

Planning For The Rainy Day
It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day earning and spending of money, that you can easily delay planning for your financial future. But without a plan, you may not have the money for that “rainy day” that our parents often talked about. By assessing your current status and your needs and goals for the future, creating a plan, and implementing that plan, you will stay focused on your ultimate financial goals. A financial advisor will help to keep you on course with your financial plan. You’ll learn to save your money regularly so that it grows over the course of your working lifetime. Knowing that you are well prepared and well protected enables you to live at ease because you know you will have the money you need when you need it. Consider the benefits of having a financial plan, good sound advice and all the tools to implement the process. That is what a smart financial advisor will do for you.