I’ve been thinking about retirement and estate planning as of late. Our financial adviser came to our home a few weeks ago to talk about that with me and my parents. And I learned a whole lot of information from him, for which I am grateful.
He was encouraging me to buy a type of investment product that would provide both life insurance and long-term care for me as I age. It’s an interesting product, but quite frankly I still don’t understand the ins and outs of it too well.
I appreciated his information but at the same time I feel like I still need to make my own determinations and research as to whether this financial product suits me in the long run. I will be grateful for the knowledge that he shared but I will still make my own decision in terms of the best way to proceed forward.
Everyone is an expert in something. And as experts, they try to convey what they feel to be correct and right onto the student. The one that possesses less knowledge in this particular field or industry. And most of these actions comes forth thru well-intentioned advice. After all, the world needs experts to provide guidance for innovation and progress in society.
However, at the same time, everyone’s life is different. And what works for one person may not work for another. It’s important to take these expert advice and work them into your own life circumstances and see whether or not they fit your ideals and your beliefs.
For my financial advisor, I appreciated his knowledge. But at the same time, I was questioning whether I could invest my finances into other more fruitful investment products for long-term benefits and savings. I am playing with these options right now. Taking snippets of knowledge here and there to work them all into my own life decisions. And to figure out what works best for myself.
In all honesty, he was also being a salesman that was pushing a product he wanted to make money from. He was using some terminology that tried to strike urgency and even a little bit of fear in me, which would encourage me to take action and move forward with this product. He was trying to sell me on a dream of security and fulfillment as I approach old age. And he was trying to push me to fill out a free application as the first step in the process. It’s a tricky dance.
All these actions are the strategies of an experienced salesman. And I wasn’t ignorant towards that. After all, he needed to make money off his clients as well. He needed to show his value and find a way to close the deal properly. And I harbor no resentment towards that. If I were a salesman, I would probably try my best to do the exact same thing. It’s human nature to want what is best for yourself. And to earn more money. And to improve your life.
At the same time, I need to look out for myself as well and see what strategies work best for me and my future. That’s why I appreciated everything he said to me, but also took it with a grain of salt. Because I feel that not every expert advice can resonate well with my own path forward.
Same goes with the advice from my parents. They are similarly well intentioned and speak from the heart based on their own experience. But again, their experience may not translate well to my present circumstances. I am a different person with different ideals growing up in a different environment. So it’s important to take all these factors into account when making determinations.
In general, it’s good to heed advice from the experts. Because they’ve spent the time and effort to do research and have in-depth knowledge of the matter at hand. And that is to be respected of course. The advances in technology and science that we’ve had over this past century has been amazing. The innovations in society have been breathtaking.
And yet, the experts are not the end all be all. Sometimes, it takes a fresh set of novice eyes to provide an enlightening perspective on the matter at hand. That’s why it’s important to speak to beginners as well and get their opinions on how to proceed. No one is foolproof and even the best of us can make mistakes.
Just because you’re an expert at something doesn’t mean you are immune towards the essence of being a flawed human being. So, listen to advice but also make your own determinations on how to proceed with life. It’s okay to go against the grain and move forward based on your own beliefs. The world needs people like that and often times, that’s the main way to progress forward as a community.
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