By hiring a good advisor, you could be gaining a world of expertise; however, you should still feel firmly in control of your destiny. You are the CEO or chief executive officer of your wealth. A good CEO hires a CFO or chief financial officer, who runs the daily affairs of the company. The CFO oversees and coordinates everything that requires planning and money with a written recommendation.

The goal is for you to feel free of financial worry so that you can spend your time focusing on what you enjoy. In my opinion, that’s so much better than the old planning model in which you are in the middle, and circling around you like the moons of Jupiter are all of your current advisors: your CPA, who calls you up every March to ask you where your receipts are; your lawyer, whom you haven’t seen in eight years since she handled your daughter’s auto accident; and your insurance agent, who calls too much, always at dinner time. Then don’t forget your investment advisor who hid under the desk in 2008 and wouldn’t answer the phone. If you have such a “team,” ask yourself when was the last time that they all got together and talked about your plan?

If you have a constellation of advisors, each will see just a piece of the jigsaw puzzle. None of them is likely to help you know how to fit those pieces together. That’s a job for a primary financial coordinator, your CFO, who will work to keep the big picture in mind. You should expect regular communication. Receive a free no obligation assessment of your retirement plan at www.mysecondopiniontoday.com. A good advisor will keep in touch so that you can make the adjustments to stay on course toward your goals. We can’t change the wind, but we certainly can trim the sails.