In the 1980’s the vehicles I owned were all circa 1970’s (except my motorcycles). This was a different era for cars and trucks. Most of the work that I did on these vehicles was accomplished by simply leaning over a fender, sometimes sitting on the fender, or crawling under it without even putting it on a lift. There were no plastic cowlings covering everything, very simple electronics, and lots of open spaces.
When I purchased my current truck, I naturally opened the hood to see what was in there. Well, the truth was, there was nothing to look at. It was all plastic covers with a few wires and hoses that seemed to go nowhere. Subsequently, I have never so much as changed the oil on this vehicle. It goes to the mechanic every time. My biggest struggle today is finding a quality mechanic. I rarely read reviews for something of this nature. I trust a number of different factors, including how clean the waiting area is and the attention I see in the little details. My favorite mechanic was a weekend hotrodder, that had a dragster that his sister drove and won races with. That was a great resume for me. He loved engines, loved making things work at their ultimate best performance, and could see where small adjustments had specific value to performance.
The financial services industry, especially in the financial planning arena, is plagued with the availability of a thousand sources of information on the internet, social media, and various news sources. Too much information is sometimes not best either.
Over the years that I have been in various professional and business settings, I have found that the source of my advice was crucial. If I accepted influences from just any source, I could experience some dramatic failures. If I took the time to search out quality sources from people that know about what they were offering advice on, it turned out notably better.
As a financial advisor, I find that the worst failings occur when someone tries to DIY it reading generalized news, listens to some podcast or even chooses to trust what a co-worker is doing. Financial planning is a deeply personal and individualized action. My appeal is simply this; find that mechanic that loves what he does and loves to hear that engine purr. And, work with a financial advisor that does not simply transact business, but rather looks at you, your needs, and helps you build a plan that is yours.