The Three Hardest Words To Say

What are the three hardest words to say?

The three hardest words to say are “I don’t know.” This was especially true for me, partially due to my academic achievements, listed below:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP)

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

• Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)

• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)

• Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF)

In short, I have a Master's degree, too many certifications, and over 20 years of experience in financial services and fintech. By most accounts, I’m an expert, or as Twitter would say a “financial guru,” a term that literally makes me cringe.

Growth Mindset

About five years ago, I listened to the book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” by Carol Dweck.

The general premise of the book is that your intelligence can be further developed through hard work, knowledge, and simply knowing that you don’t know everything.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, there are far too many people portraying a facade of perfection. Perfect families, spouses, homes, and most troubling, knowledge.

Why it matters?

Although I’m knowledgeable, good at my job, and an expert in my field, I still don’t know everything. That may give you pause if you’re looking for a financial advisor, coach, or simply to learn more about personal finance; however, it should have the opposite effect. If your financial advisor knows everything, I would honestly find a new financial advisor. (On a side note, if your financial advisor knows nothing or isn’t certified, I would also find a new financial advisor, but that’s a different newsletter.)

I am constantly learning and you should want an advisor, teacher, mentor, trainer, etc. who is doing the same. This is the very reason why “Learn” is one of the SIMPLE steps in the Walk You To Wealth program.

When I was younger, I foolishly thought I knew everything; however, in the past five years, I have read more books and learned more than I did in the previous fifteen.

Not always having an answer and being open to new ideas is really difficult, especially if you are being paid for your expertise; however, it’s essential for learning.

Summary

This world of money, investing, and wealth can be difficult to navigate alone and no one has all the answers. If you are trying to find someone to help you steer the ship, always look for someone who is knowledgeable, certified, and most importantly, someone who doesn’t think they know everything, but is willing to learn.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is provided for your convenience only and is not intended to be treated as financial, investment, tax, or other advice. The information is intended to be educational and is not tailored to the investment needs of any specific individual.  It is also not intended to be relied upon as a forecast and is not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy.  The opinions expressed are those of the author.  Reliance upon the guidance and information in this presentation is at the sole discretion of the individual.