Higher Calling: A Guide to Helping Investors Achieve their Goals

Investors rarely earn as much as they could in the marketplace. Not because the markets are rigged casino-style or they haven’t made their bets on the right hot stock. Investors don’t earn as much as they could because they don’t stick to their plans. The markets are a long-term game, and their rewards are only fully reaped if one can weather the sometimes-gale-force winds of volatility. But most investors, incited by a headline-hungry news media or simply a lack of understanding about market fundamentals, are more likely to chase performance. Driven by fear and greed, they buy high and sell low, routinely earning 2–5 points less than their funds perform. As financial advisors, it’s our job to help investors reach their goals. Whether they want to retire and sail around the world, send their children and grandchildren to college, or give back by investing in their communities and neighborhoods, we are there to help them succeed. And while we might flatter ourselves into thinking our expert knowledge of financial trends and red-hot instinct for the next big thing could make us all multi-millionaires (hey, you might be right, but this isn’t the book for you), our real value-add for our clients is keeping them on track. By managing their expectations and emotions through three straight-forward steps outlined in this book, we can counsel investors through the ups and downs of the marketplace, helping them to stay invested and realize the long-term gains that are consistently borne out. This is how we help investors succeed. This is how we achieve our higher calling.