Are you thinking of getting a financial adviser? If so, how do you choose the right one?

Personally, I’ve already found the best personal financial adviser and if you would like to find yours too, then let me tell you where and how to find him or her.

Ready?

Simply look into the mirror and you’ll see the best personal financial adviser for you.

Yes, you are your own best personal financial adviser.

The mere fact that you’re reading this article means that you probably already know a lot about personal finance than you give yourself credit for.

You manage your budget, you monitor your cashflow, you look for income and investment opportunities and you do know the value of saving.

You may not know everything, you may sometimes feel you’re financially illiterate and you do make financial mistakes, but at the most basic level – you do have the financial skills.

You may be asking yourself now, “If I’m the best personal financial adviser for myself, then how come I’m not rich or I’m so deep in debt?”

Well that’s because you’re probably not following your own advise.

“I have to watch my spending.”

“I need to start saving money.”

“I need to find a way to earn extra income.”

“I want to learn how to invest.”

Have you ever thought about or said these things to yourself? If so, what did you do about it?

This is really my point here. At best, we do already know what we need to do financially and what we only lack is the knowledge, the discipline or the commitment to pursue it.

Again that’s knowledge, discipline and commitment.

You want to invest in mutual funds but don’t know how? Then do some research.

You want to lessen your expenses? Then learn how to control impulsive buying.

You want to start a business? Then write a business plan and follow through.

Of course this doesn’t mean that you will never ever need help from others, specially from professional financial experts. You will but hopefully, for more complex and legal purposes such as tax advise, estate planning, and retirement planning.

But then again, I highly suggest that if ever you need to, you would have already done your own homework so you’ll understand your financial planner when he or she gives you financial jargon and legal terms. More importantly, you’ll be able to effectively differentiate sound financial advise from profit-motivated suggestions.

Remember, you are your own best personal financial adviser.

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Image Credit: serhio, Mr. Say