Trust your Financial Planner as you do your doctor!

You go to doctor; who examines you and comes up with a diagnosis of what the ailment is and what medicines you need and for how long. Would you turnaround and tell the doctor that the ailment actually is something else, the medicines suggested are, therefore not suitable and that you want a different set of medicines. Could he kindly prescribe those?

Obviously, this sounds silly; No one in his senses would do that… and yet it happens when it comes to people’s investment.

Investors assume they know well enough to dictate what they would want to take up for investments. As financial planner, I do come across such clients occasionally…

Case Study

Case1: Confused Investors

A friend of mine, he has come to me for advice and got a plan for specific financial need; It’s frustrating that after spending around an hour to complete the plan to hear him said that he wanted to do something entirely different. Why do he wants to do that? Because, his helpful friend or cousin had told him that he would be chumps to invest in some mutual funds suggested by some third party. Shaken, by this revelation, he seeks out another colleague to get a third opinion!

What is the problem with this approach?–

No predefined goals and hence no clarity on investment plan – No idea of how investment should be divided for different investments. – No investment as per risk-appetite and goal’s importance.

If you are not able to trust your planner to come up with a good plan, why approach him in the first place? That’ s why they used to say that if you approach  a guru, you need to stay the course with him and do all that he asks you to do. A guru can take a student to the destination only if the student is willing to walk the path chalked out by the guru. Each guru’s path might be different. If a student were to jump from guru to guru, he will learn nothing and go nowhere.

“It is like digging two feet at 20 places and expecting water to gush out”

There are others who choose to execute a portion of the recommendations, but ignore some others. For instance, one may complete investments as per the suggestions but choose to ignore insurance recommendations, as the life cover recommended too high. This again is like a patient having only two of the four tablets suggested. It will not lead to a complete cure. 

Case2: Trusted Investors

Let us take mine case as last month, my son had got fever and I did not go to doctor and gave a medicine as last prescribed by doctor over the week but he did not get well. Ultimately, I had to go to doctor and surprisingly, the doctor had prescribed the same medicines with distinct composition but this time, doctor had explained me the pros and cons of this medicine and assured that he would be alright with the same medicine and that composition. And I came back to home and gave another dose of the same medicine which was given over the week, unbelievable in evening he got well and played with his friends.

What is the right thing with this approach?

It is always said that “When blessing works, medicine works” and blessing comes from trust. In this case, instead of jumping to another doctor I have thrown my trust on the same doctor with same medicine and came back home and my trust won. It seems to be liked superstitious but it is a bitter truth.

Conclusion:

In finances, this problem exists as investors tend to think that if they are familiar with some products, they can do it themselves. So why did they approach planner? Because they were not sure if they are right in the first place. Then, they argue with the planner about the merits of what they have in mind about investments and insurance. And then take a call to do the some of what the planner suggested and some as per their pre- direction.

That does not work. It works only when the relationship is a trusting relationship… just like in doctor and marriage. It makes no sense if the spouse constantly keeps tab on the significant other. Trust in these relationships has to be complete… like the trapeze artist who is willing to let go the bar and leap with the full trust that his partner will catch him as we have seen that in circuses. That is trust.

Before trusting anyone so much of course do the due diligence. But once you have satisfied yourself, you have to let go-like that trapeze artist! Nothing works like trust.

Question:

How much difference do you think will happen without Trust as per your view ?

The content and thoughts of this post is originally taken from Mr. Suresh Sadagopan who is Certified Financial Planner and SEBI Registered Investment advisor and he can reached at info@ladder7.co.in.