by Simon Wright

Created on: April 30, 2007   Last Updated: May 03, 2007

No. You are not obliged to follow the financial planner's advice. It is your money and, ultimately, you need to feel,comfortable that it is going to be put to best use.

That said, speaking to a financial planner is often a good way to identify whether there are areas of your financial portfolio that you need to look at in more detail.

When taking advice, you need to consider the context in which the financial planner is offering you advice. Are they an independent financial adviser? Or are they a tied agent (i.e. they can only recommend the products of the company that they work for)? You need to consider whether there may be a bias in their recommendation.

The way I would use a session with a financial planner is to see it as a good way to review your finances. Are there areas (e.g. insurance) where you have gaps in your provision? The session may at least spark you into reviewing whether you need these additional products. You are then free to do your own research to determine which provider to take them from.

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