E Should I Do My Own Investing, Use A Robo-Advisor Or Use A Financial Planner?

As the holidays near, your time gets squeezed. There’s more to do and, if you’re a DIY investor, there’s the end of year portfolio management updates. This holiday stress might have you thinking that you need some investment management help.

If you need investing help there are several alternatives. First, you can hire a fee only financial planner or other type of Certified Financial Planner. Or, you can delve into the heady world of automated investing and choose to invest with a robo-advisor. When making a financial decision, it’s helpful to take stock of your investing skills and preferences first. Here are some guidelines to help you decide whether to turn your investments over to a pro-robo or human or go it alone.

DIY invest if:

You understand the investment markets, properties and volatility.

You grasp the types of available investments – stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, REITS and more.

You have the time to monitor and rebalance your investment portfolio.

You’re level-headed enough not to sell after a market drop and buy at the market peaks.

You have the time to manage, monitor and rebalance your investment portfolio.

You lack investing experience but are willing and able to learn how to invest on your own.

You want to try to beat the average market returns.

You’re a control freak and want to DIY with your own money.

If you want to go it alone, give it a try. If not, check out investing guidelines for robo-advisors and human financial advisors.

Invest with a robo-advisor if:

You’re seeking a set it and forget it investment portfolio.

You want a diversified managed investment portfolio that includes international stocks and bonds.

You want a combination DIY and automated investment portfolio.

You want an investment portfolio that will match market returns.

You’re interested in investment management with a robo-advisor with human financial advisor access.