Mastering this skill is the ‘hardest part’ of personal finance, advisors say (2024)

FAQs

Mastering this skill is the ‘hardest part’ of personal finance, advisors say? ›

Cash flow is the 'hardest part' of personal finance, advisors say.

What is the hardest part about being a financial advisor? The hardest part about being a financial advisor is often the constant need for client prospecting and business development, especially in the early stages of one's career.

Step 5: Implement your plan

Taking action is quite possibly the hardest part of the planning process. Your plan may involve an increase in your regular savings, purchasing additional insurance, contributing to an IRA or making investments.

Over the years, I've heard of turnover rates from 25% to 95%... and everything in between. Putting it simply, being a financial advisor is HARD. If you're looking for an easy career where you can just sit back and coast by, forget about it. It's not for you.

Financial advisor stress is real, and you're not alone if you feel the pressure. According to a survey carried out by Financial Planning Association, Janus Henderson, and Investopedia: 71% of advisors have experienced moderate or high levels of negative stress, compared to 63% of investors.

“The hardest financial skill is getting the goalpost to stop moving.” “Saving is a gap between your ego and your income.” “Money buys freedom, but freedom doesn't create money.”

Hardest topics by CFA Level

Generally, our research shows that candidates' CFA Level 1 hardest topics are Financial Statement Analysis, Fixed Income, Quantitative Methods, Derivatives and Economics.

At the end of the day, we only have so much control over our finances. We don't have much say over who our parents are, the color of our skin, our gender, our immigration status or any number of other factors that influence our financial situations. That's what makes personal finance so complicated.

#1 Don't Spend More Than You Make

When your bank balance is looking healthy after payday, it's easy to overspend and not be as careful. However, there are several issues at play that result in people relying on borrowing money, racking up debt and living way beyond their means.

What are the 5 basics of personal finance? ›

There's plenty to learn about personal financial topics, but breaking them down can help simplify things. To start expanding your financial literacy, consider these five areas: budgeting, building and improving credit, saving, borrowing and repaying debt, and investing.

Smart personal finance involves developing strategies that include budgeting, creating an emergency fund, paying off debt, using credit cards wisely, saving for retirement, and much more. Being disciplined is important, but it's also good to know when you shouldn't adhere to the guidelines.

Lack of work ethic. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to break into a career as a financial advisor. While many are willing to work hard for a period of time, fewer are willing and able to maintain the high-level work ethic required to survive and thrive as a successful advisor.

According to various studies and publications, the average age of financial advisors is somewhere between 51 and 55 years, with 38% expecting to retire in the next ten years.

2. The Statistics: 80-90% of financial advisors fail and close their firm within the first three years of business. This means only 10-20% of financial advisors are ultimately successful.

Long hours: Working hours are often long, particularly in the early stages of growing an advisor business. Constant client communications: Constant interaction with others can make this career less attractive for introverted individuals.

Poor Prospecting Strategies

And this is where many advisors get it wrong. They spend too many resources on strategies like cold calling and buying a lead list, and they try every new tool that comes along — but they never actually get it. They keep doing this until they end up frustrated and quit.

However, being a financial advisor isn't always easy. They face challenges like keeping up with changes in financial laws and regulations, understanding new investment tools and technologies, and meeting the high expectations of their clients.