Rick writes:
“Have you ever used a professional “financial adviser” and what are your thoughts on doing so?”
I have never used a professional financial adviser. But I also personally rarely use professional services for anything else I need, either:
- I perform all the maintenance and repairs on my cars: timing belts, brakes, struts and shocks, oil changes, etc.
- I fix and install heating appliances and accessories
- I planned, purchased, and redid the kitchen in my rental unit
- I fixed my sprinkler system
- I rebuilt my railing
- I have helped family and friends fix well pumps, install ceilings, satellite dishes, move, etc.
- I do my own taxes
I tend to be a very do-it-yourself kind of guy and managing my money is no different. I do things myself for 3 primary reasons, listed here in no particular order:
- I get satisfaction from a job that I have done well.
- I don’t trust most of the people whom I would have hired to do all these things.
- It has saved me an enormous amount of money.
Welcome to Don’t Feed the Alligators, a Personal Finance Blog that seeks analysis and discussion surrounding all aspects of personal finance as seen from the perspective of a small-scale multi-family property investor.