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Article Title: And You Thought the Odds Were in Your Favor
Author: Jay Peroni
Category: Personal Finance, Financial Planning, Stock Market Investing
Word Count: 919
Keywords: financial planning, certified financial planner, wealth creation, 
investments, savings
Author's Email Address: [email protected]
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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When it comes to investing, most people who lose in investing do so, not 
because of ability, knowledge, or skills, but rather due to a series of poor 
decisions, bad advice, and critical mistakes. Many of which were completely 
avoidable! I have seen so many people take big losses, pay exorbitant fees, pay 
too much in taxes, and buy and sell at the worst possible times.

If you have been unsuccessful at investing, chances are it's not completely 
your fault. Don't hear me wrong!  I am a huge fan of personal responsibility 
and accountability. However, with bad advice being the norm, it is very 
difficult for the average investor to cut through the noise, to discern fact 
from fallacy, and make the correct choices. Here's the world you face:

* Radio show hosts giving idiotic opinions on investing without knowing your 
situation
* Arrogant journalists and publishers trying to sell newspapers & magazines 
giving you advice when they themselves have never had success
* Billions in advertising dollars from major Wall Street firms dictating what's 
in your best interests when they're taking bailouts
* Friends and family who also had been unsuccessful giving you investment and 
financial advice
* TV shows with self proclaimed experts giving you rules of from in generic 
advice and expecting you to be able to do something with it
* Online "idea of the day" bloggers giving you a smorgasbord of financial 
advice which may or may not have good advice, but certainly not tailored to 
your specific unique needs.
* Commission hungry financial brokers, advisors, or planners selling you 
products and services over advice and solutions

And you thought the odds were in your favor?
It is no wonder during the panic of 2008 and 2009, all the life savings of 
millions of Americans plummeted in value. Where was the alarm bell? Someone 
surely must have seen this coming? The truth remains that most Wall Street 
firms have no clue what the markets will do from year to year. Yet many 
investors trusted their advisor or firm to protect them from taking the kinds 
of losses that took place.

Even with the substantial losses, many more mistakes are taking place. I have 
seen so many people stricken with fear, standing on the sidelines, wondering 
when the recovery will take place. The markets have advanced over 50% from the 
low point yet many people still wonder when the market recovery is going to 
take place. Too many impulsively make bad investment decisions and create 
further predicaments because they don't know what else to do.  They long for 
solid and practical advice yet have no clue where to find it.
 
So where do you turn?
Rather than running from advisor to advisor, changing accounts from firm to 
firm, or seeking a savior, other than The Savior Jesus Christ, it starts with 
your education. You can't expect someone else to bail you out of trouble.  It 
all starts with you!  You have the power to change your financial future if you 
are willing to put in the time energy and effort.
  
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The truth is there is no shortage of 
good ideas: Stocks, bonds, real estate, options trading, commodities, 
exchange-traded funds - there are dozens of ways to invest. Chances are you've 
probably tried some or many of these options. How successful have they been? If 
those ideas made you rich, why are you reading this?

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge always pays the best 
interest." With this in mind, my life's focus is dedicated to helping people 
like you make an investment in the most important place: YOU! Your education is 
the key to your future success. If you want to grow your wealth, you cannot 
keep doing the same things you've done in the past and expect different 
results. You probably tried a lot of ideas with little to no success. This is 
okay. In fact better than ok, it's perfect! Perfect because you've seen what 
hasn't worked and you now know there has to be a better way. 

I Found A Better Way!
Throughout the past 15 years, I have been managing millions of dollars for 
people just like you. I've spent years studying for the CFP designation, years 
getting my masters degree in financial planning, and working for some of the 
largest firms on Wall Street. Then finally I had enough! I was tired of working 
for firms that claim to have the best interest of their clients at heart but 
their decisions clearly indicated otherwise. 

The chain of command often does not work in your favor. If your firm is 
publicly traded, shareholders come before you. If you invest in mutual funds, 
your manager gets paid whether he makes you a dime or not. Mutual funds spend 
billions each year selling you product yet very few outpace their benchmark.  
If you invest at a bank or credit union it's often about fee revenue more so 
than making you money. If you invest with an insurance company often it's about 
making a commission and there is little incentive for servicing your account. 

In the end, it boils down to the fact that you need to educate yourself. Do 
some homework; check out the advisors you are considering working with. You 
need to be involved in your investment decisions and not just implicitly trust 
an advisor with your money without ever asking a question. Doing these things 
will turn the odds in your favor and pave the way to your financial security 
and success.

Jay Peroni, CFP, and author of The Faith-Based Millionaire and The Faith-Based 
Investor.  Jay is also the founder of http://www.FaithBasedInvestor.com, a 
faith-based investing newsletter and the founder of 
http://www.ValuesFirstAdvisors.com a firm dedicated to faith-based financial 
planning.
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