A few weeks ago, I had the chance to interview Carl Richards, creator of the Behavior Gap blog and author of the Sketch Guy column.
It was a great conversation and Carl’s message spoke to me on a deep level.
“Financial planners are a guide in an ever-changing landscape, not a defender of an outdated map.”
Read that one more time, just to let it sink it.
I have been involved in MSU’s CFP program for three years now. I am about to graduate and intend to sit for the CFP exam this upcoming November.
In just about all my classes, as well as in my preparation for the CFP exam, I have been laser-focused on studying “maps.”
I have studied formulas, made plans, and attempted to navigate a world of uncertainty with tools given to me by extremely wise advisors, who have themselves learned through their own unique experiences.
Carl’s message hit so close to home with me because it emphasized that the technical knowledge I have gained in my collegiate career is the bare minimum for success as a financial advisor.
The best financial advisors recognize that even if you are equipped with the newest technology and most up-to-date set of facts, the world is ever changing. Those facts and technology might be new today, but its highly likely they will be old news tomorrow.
Great financial advisors do not sell themselves as all-knowing prophets, but as guides in a world full of uncertainty.
Change is the only constant in this world.
That can be a scary thought to consider, but the sooner we recognize and accept it, the better our lives and the lives of our future clients will be.