I would tend to agree that Financial Planners can be a little hit and miss. Not everyone has the wherewithal or ability to deal with these matters and as one gets older this may be more of an issue. Even close family have been known to raid the pot of gold!
I use a financial planner as a validation of my own thinking. particularly around strategy - it can he hard work to keep up with the latest opportunities for tax / inheritance planning. To me the cost of about $3k every couple of years gives an opportunity to cross validate. I tend to use different planners each time as again it allows for some validation of previous planners.
What I DO NOT do is sign up for ongoing advice - in my experience much of the 'added value' of 'keeping an eye on the ball' and standard news letters is a complete waste of $. When was the last time anyone got a call from their planner except when renewal fees are due each year, or the planner thinks they can sell another product?
