Does anyone here use an IFA?

Linton

You can only make a rational choice of investments for someone if you have a good knowledge of their circumstances, objectives and their understanding/ acceptance of risk.  That is where an IFA comes in and why simply asking an AI or people on an internet forum is not the best way of getting advice.

Bostonerimus1

Linton said:

You can only make a rational choice of investments for someone if you have a good knowledge of their circumstances, objectives and their understanding/ acceptance of risk.  That is where an IFA comes in and why simply asking an AI or people on an internet forum is not the best way of getting advice.

I see the point about the importance of informed questioning and feedback in a financial conversation, but a knowledgable DIYer should be best placed to understand their circumstances and what they need from a portfolio. I prefer using an IFA, or even these forums, to Chat GPT because LLMs often get things wrong and they have a veneer of infallibility that is dangerous, but DIY and keeping things simple so that the level of research required is minimized is often a very good solution.

zagfles

Linton said:

You can only make a rational choice of investments for someone if you have a good knowledge of their circumstances, objectives and their understanding/ acceptance of risk.  That is where an IFA comes in and why simply asking an AI or people on an internet forum is not the best way of getting advice.

For the vast majority that could be done using a simple set of questions/flowchart. A bit like how workplace DC pensions work, a few options based on circumstances/risk attitude etc. Individually tailored advice is probably not necessary for the vast majority of people whose circumstances with be similar to thousands of others.