Investing is a time-consuming process because there are so many choices, massive amounts of data and continuous change.   

If you are like most people, you do not have sufficient time to analyze market outlooks, research alternatives, make investment decisions, monitor and replace managers, update your analysis, and monitor outcomes.  This is because you are busy in your career or enjoying retirement activities.    It requires substantial discipline to devote several hours per week to investment activities -  even more  discipline than needed to exercise or eat the right foods in moderation.   Investing may be your hobby, but there should be nothing casual about the accumulation and preservation of retirement assets.   You need goals, a strategy, knowledge and time to be a successful investor.   If you do not possess all of these things, then you need a personal financial advisor.

To achieve the performance you require from your assets, you will need competent advice from a professional whom you can trust.   This person must possess the requisite knowledge and have access to the sophisticated services in order to advise you on the optimum strategy for investing your assets.   This means that the advisor must have substantial knowledge obtained from formal education programs and years of experience.  The advisor must also provide objective, high quality advice that puts your needs ahead of his or her personal income.   Most importantly, the advisor must have a history of integrity.   After all, how valuable is investment advice you cannot trust?  

If you can meet three investment-related needs for retirement, you will have the formula for a secure financial future:

1.  Substantial assets that produce sufficient income to fund your lifestyle during retirement and provide for financial security later in life.

2.  Competitive returns that produce the assets.

3.  Competent, trustworthy advice that produces  consistent, long-term  returns.