Episode 373: Is a Financial Advisor Worth It? The Numbers Don't Lie

Discount brokerage ads keep telling Canadians they don't need "their parent's advisor." So is that true? With robo-advisors, low-fee ETFs, and endless free information online, do you still need a financial advisor? In this episode of Think Smart with TMFG, we talk about what advisors actually do beyond picking investments, and why the two biggest objections, fees and trust, don't hold up the way people assume. We break down Russell Investments' 2026 Value of an Advisor Study, which puts that value at 4.92% annually, most of it from behavioural coaching, plus tax-smart planning, family wealth planning, asset allocation and many more. We also cover why cheap, diversified funds have made basic investing easy, shifting the real value of an advisor toward retirement income planning, tax-efficient withdrawals, and wealth transfer, and how trust with an advisor gets built over years, not a first meeting. 📌 If you've been putting off finding a financial advisor, or you're wondering whether the one you have is earning their fee, feel free to reach out. We'd be happy to help you through those decisions: Schedule a meeting here 🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube. Source: Russell Investments, 2026 Value of an Advisor Study Follow us: LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/ Hosting this episode: Mike Connon, Senior Financial Advisor and Ingrid Kucera, Financial Advisor