Have you ever left a meeting with a financial advisor and thought...
"I'm not exactly sure what they just said."
You're not alone.
The financial world has a language all its own. After years of doing this, advisors start using words and phrases that make perfect sense to us—but can sound confusing, intimidating, or even a little scary if you're hearing them for the first time.
So we thought it might be helpful to translate a few of the things you might hear from us into plain English.
Because what we're trying to say and what you might hear aren't always the same thing.
When we say...
"Let's talk about your risk tolerance."
What you might hear...
"They're trying to figure out how much money I'm okay losing."
What we really mean...
This is probably one of the most misunderstood conversations in investing.
We're not trying to find out how much pain you can handle.
We're trying to understand your goals, your timeline, and how much uncertainty you're comfortable with along the way.
Unlike a traditional buy-and-hold approach, we don't believe your only option is to ride out every market decline simply and hope it comes back.
That's why we use tactical investment strategies that have the flexibility to become more defensive when market conditions change and more aggressive when opportunities improve. While no investment strategy can eliminate risk or guarantee positive returns, we believe managing risk is just as important as pursuing growth.
The goal isn't to see how much risk you can tolerate.
The goal is to help you pursue your financial goals while taking only the amount of risk that's appropriate for your situation.
When we say...
"We should talk about long-term care."
What you might hear...
"They're telling me I'm going to end up in a nursing home."
What we really mean...
We hope you never need long-term care.
Honestly, that's the best-case scenario.
But our job is to help you prepare for things we hope never happen.
This conversation isn't really about nursing homes.
It's about protecting your retirement savings, preserving your independence, and helping make sure the people you love aren't forced to become caregivers or face difficult financial decisions because life didn't go according to plan.
Planning ahead doesn't mean we expect the worst.
It simply means we're preparing for it—just in case.
When we say...
"Let's diversify your investments."
What you might hear...
"They're making this more complicated than it needs to be."
What we really mean...
Diversification isn't about making your portfolio complicated.
It's about making it stronger.
Think of it like this: if one investment struggles, we don't want your entire retirement to struggle with it.
Different investments often respond differently to changing markets.
The goal isn't to own more investments.
The goal is to avoid relying on just one.
When we say...
"An annuity might be worth considering."
What you might hear...
"Here comes the sales pitch."
What we really mean...
We don't start with products.
We start with problems.
If you've told us you're worried about running out of income, losing money right before retirement, or creating more certainty for your spouse, we're simply looking for tools that might help solve those concerns.
Sometimes an annuity is the right answer.
Sometimes it isn't.
If it isn't, we'll tell you that too.
Our job isn't to fit you into a product.
Our job is to help you find the solution that best fits your goals.
When we say...
"Let's review your Medicare coverage."
What you might hear...
"They're going to try to switch my plan."
What we really mean...
Not at all.
Sometimes your current plan is still the best choice.
Sometimes it isn't.
Our goal isn't to move you into a different Medicare plan every year.
Our goal is to make sure your coverage still fits your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget, and your healthcare needs.
In many cases, the best advice we give is...
"Don't change a thing."
If your current coverage is still the best fit, we'll be the first to tell you.
When we say...
"Let's review your beneficiaries."
What you might hear...
"Why are we talking about this? Am I dying?"
What we really mean...
Life changes.
People get married.
Children are born.
Grandchildren come along.
Relationships change.
Unfortunately, beneficiary forms don't update themselves.
One of the simplest ways we can help your family is by making sure your money goes where you want it to go if something unexpected happens.
It's a conversation we hope never matters.
But if it does, it's one of the most important ones we'll ever have.
What We're Really Trying to Do
Here's something we'd love every client to know.
Whether we're helping someone with Medicare, investments, life insurance, long-term care, retirement income, or estate planning, we don't start by looking for a product.
We start by looking for a problem.
What are you trying to accomplish?
What keeps you awake at night?
What would you like to protect?
What worries you about retirement?
What does a successful retirement actually look like to you?
The products and strategies we recommend are simply tools.
They aren't the goal.
Our goal is to help you make informed decisions so you can move into retirement with greater confidence and fewer unanswered questions.
That's why we'll ask a lot of questions.
Not because we're trying to sell you something.
But because we believe the best recommendations come from first understanding what matters most to you.
One Last Thought
If you've ever left one of our meetings wondering what we meant, please ask.
There are no bad questions.
In fact, some of the best conversations we've had with clients started with them saying...
"Can you explain that another way?"
We never want you to leave a meeting feeling confused.
At Both Hands Financial Group, we believe our job isn't to overwhelm you with financial jargon or pressure you into products.
It's to help you understand your options, solve the problems that matter most to you, and give you the confidence to make informed decisions about your future.
Because when you truly understand your choices, better decisions usually follow.
