re: Northwestern Mutual - Should I?

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I find it funny how somehow it has become acceptable advice to say "just do it yourself" with something like investing. Every other specialized profession that would just be laughed at as advice.

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For the average person there is ample evidence that using a Doctor, Lawyer, CPA, etc., will yield better results than "doing it yourself", there is little evidence empirical or otherwise that using an investment professional will yield a better outcome. As several have posted here the opposite is more likely with a very small percentage of the professionals being able to outperform market indexes. When using other professional services it can be easily determined if the person you are dealing with has the appropriate education and certification for their profession, the average person cannot distinguish between "financial advisor", "financial planner", "enrollment agent", "chartered financial analyst", "chartered financial consultant", etc., and whether any of them are acting in their interest, or simply as a sales rep for a corporation.