In case you are wondering what this contains, welcome! a Few days back I posted “Advisor’s fault, of course’. I got a few responses for that. So I thought an explanation is in place about an advisor’s role.

First of all an advisor should give advise, only if it is sought. Do not convert all your social meetings into advise sessions.

Secondly most advisors do not know when the market will go up, go down, whether real estate has bottomed out etc. However they can help you with your financial goals, asset allocation, risk tolerance, etc.

When Lord Rama had reached the shores (and was about to build a bridge) Ravana called for a meeting of his cabinet to discuss “Should we go to war with Rama?”. One of the participants was Ravana’s brave brother and warrior Kumbhakarna.

Kumbhakarna heard the whole story and said “You went and kidnapped Sita, and now her husband has come to fight you. If you really valued our advice, you should have asked us “Should I kidnap Sita?”. Now that you have done it, there will be a fight. As your brother I will fight on your side. However Rama is in the Right and you are in the Wrong.

That is exactly what I like to tell my clients, friends and readers. If you have already done a deal, please do not ask me to ratify that. I am useless and blunt. You may not like the truth, and I will not ratify a bad deal!