What Are You Actually Paying a Financial Advisor For?

It's the question people hesitate to ask out loud. If you're going to hire a financial advisor, what exactly are you paying for? Mark says you can feel it coming across the table, and he'd rather you just ask.  In this episode, Mark Rowlette and Damon La Tanzi of South Shore Retirement Services make the case that good advice is worth far more than stock-picking. Anyone can get investment information for free now. What people actually pay for, they argue, is clarity: someone to look at the whole picture and help them feel confident enough to go live their lives. Mark shares the moment that shaped how he sees this work, a meeting where a successful saver learned that most of his largest account was headed to taxes, and not one of his advisors had ever raised it.  They dig into why coordination matters so much, the idea of one person quarterbacking your CPA, attorney, and the rest of your team so nothing falls through the cracks, and the common blind spots they see: Social Security timing, the IRMAA surcharge on Medicare, tax traps, and legacy planning. It's the thinking behind the firm's five-part All Hands Analysis®, which walks through income, wealth management, taxes, healthcare, and legacy in turn.  If you've ever felt like something's missing from your plan, visit southshoreretirementservices.com or call the office at 781-725-5557.