Veritas Investment Advisory Group LLC

I deployed to Iraq. I've sat with clients who got a diagnosis that changed everything overnight. I've watched people lose businesses, marriages, and health in spans of time so short they couldn't process what was happening.

The image on this post isn't hypothetical. It's Tuesday for somebody right now.

Here's what that reality means from a financial planning perspective.

The average American has less than $1,000 in savings available for an emergency. 40% of households couldn't cover a $400 unexpected expense without borrowing. One car accident, one ER visit, one unexpected job loss, and the financial plan that felt solid last month is suddenly in crisis.

An emergency fund isn't a boring financial concept. It's the difference between a bad month and a bad year. Between a setback and a spiral.

Beyond the emergency fund there are two more things that most people delay until it's too late.

Disability insurance. If you can't work you can't earn. Your ability to generate income is your most valuable financial asset and most people have zero protection on it. The odds of experiencing a disability that keeps you out of work for 90 days or more before age 65 is roughly 1 in 4.

Life insurance. If someone depends on your income they are one phone call away from a completely different financial reality without it. Term life insurance for a healthy 35 year old costs less per month than most streaming subscriptions.

Nobody plans to need any of this. That's exactly why you need to plan for it before you do.

📊 Finding a fiduciary is the right first step. It is not the last one.

A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest. That is a much higher bar than the "suitability" standard that commission-based advisors are held to.

Working with one means you have already filtered out a lot of the worst actors in the industry. That is a good thing.

But fiduciary status is not a magic shield. There are grey areas that most people never think to ask about. Some advisors act as fiduciaries when recommending investments but switch to a lower suitability standard when the conversation moves to insurance products.

Same person, same meeting, different legal obligation. Most clients have no idea the standard just changed.

Fees are the biggest blind spot. A fiduciary has to disclose their fees, but disclosure is not the same as emphasis.

A 1% advisory fee sounds small. On a $500,000 portfolio, that is $5,000 per year. If the funds they put you in also carry 0.5% expense ratios, your all-in cost is 1.5%, or $7,500 per year. Over 20 years, the compounding effect of that drag is significant.

None of this means fiduciary advisors are bad. Most are doing good work for their clients.

The point is that "fiduciary" answers the trust question. It does not answer the cost question or the value question. Those still require your attention.

The best advisor-client relationships are the ones where both sides are comfortable talking about money openly. If your advisor gets defensive when you ask about fees, that reaction matters more than whatever their answer is.

Ask the questions. A good advisor will be glad you did.

Our Savior is born! Merry Christmas everyone! Let’s be thankful every day and look forward to the new year to come.

My new website is published!
Check it out!

Veritas IAG | Independent Financial Advisor in Hendersonville, NC Trusted financial and retirement planning in Western North Carolina. Veritas IAG provides independent investment advice with a personal touch.

In August, it was mutually and amicably agreed to separate my business interests from Shankland Financial Advisors as I formed my own Registered Investment Advisory firm called Veritas Investment Advisory Group LLC (Veritas IAG). Thus, I am no longer affiliated with Shankland Financial Advisors.

Veritas IAG will operate in the same office on the corner of Fleming St. and 6th Avenue in Hendersonville and will continue to operate with similar methods as a Fiduciary financial advisor. The only immediate change is the office phone number and the business name/logo on paperwork.

I look forward to continue serving all my previous clients and those to come with the same passion, performance and uncompromising integrity as always. Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and support.

Paul Mayes

Follow @tikstocks for investing videos. Peter Lynch nailed it when it comes to market volatility. Yes, watching your portfolio dip is no fun, but let’s keep it real: the S&P 500 averages one 10% correction and three 5% pullbacks every single year. As of today, the S&P 500 is down 6% from its highs. If history is any guide, we should see two more of these in 2025 alone if it turns out to be an average year. Since 1950, we’ve seen a 10%+ correction every 1.9 years, according to Ned Davis Research. Meanwhile, JPMorgan data shows 5% drops hit about three times annually. The recent 4% slide from the S&P 500’s highs? Barely a blip when you consider the index’s average intra-year decline since 1980 is 14% (S&P Global). Do you agree with Lynch’s analysis? Follow me @tikstocks to learn more things like this about investing! @tikstocks @tikstocks @tikstocks Join the 7,000 people who read my *FREE* newsletter every Sunday (Lincoln bye-o)! #stockmarket #investing101 #investingforbeginners

Our Financial Services | Shankland Financial Advisors LLC Shankland Financial Advisors offers financial advising and investment services for those who want to retire with peace of mind.