By Martin Hesse
It's always been a puzzle to me why people generally go to professionals for expert advice on their health or legal issues, but not so when it comes to their finances.
Your medical practitioner has studied long and hard to build up the expertise needed to diagnose an illness or advise you on health matters.
So has your lawyer, whose qualifications ensure he or she is fully competent to deal with any legal matters you may have.
But you're quite comfortable following the advice of a friend or relative when chatting around the braai on where to invest your money.
That's the same level of discourse as receiving a tip on which horse to back in the main race at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Your finances deserve better than that. Your finances and how you manage them are as fundamental to your life – and to the lives of those closest to you – as your health is.
Financial planning is financial advice at a professional level. Some planners charge a fee, as a GP would – you can't expect professional advice for nothing. Others will take a percentage of your "assets under management", to use an industry phrase. These fees are negotiable, unlike the fees your GP charges you.
However your financial planner gets enumerated, you will recoup those costs over the long term by having a steady, guiding presence beside you, making sure you don't do anything rash with your hard-earned rands while also ensuring you are on track to achieve your financial goals.
Go see one – you're worth it.
For a guide to financial planning, read the October 2021 edition of IOL MONEY, our free monthly digital magazine. Go to the issuu platform here.
PERSONAL FINANCE