1. Shift your focus from penny pinching to looking at the big picture: What can a mutual fund or an advisor do for you, not how much does it cost? Why? If you buy a given no load mutual fund at the right time and it gains a tidy 15% for you over a 6 week period, would you really care about the costs? If a mutual fund—or an advisor for that matter—can give you superior performance and an increase of several percentage points over your bargain price pick wouldn't you pay an extra 0.25%?
Bob countered with a smirk that he had made a 40% return. I raised my eyebrows and told him that was darn good—and suggested that maybe he ought to be managing my money. At that point we were interrupted and, as the evening went on, I began to wonder exactly how Bob had gotten his great return.
Think about it this way: if you hire a real estate investment agent that talks down about a property or location instead of highlighting its potential or good points, how quickly do you think it's going to sell? So, make sure your agent is positive and has your best interests in mind. Also, don't be afraid to bargain, negotiate or try to make deals with your real estate investment agent because you never know what someone will accept. It's always better to try than to always wonder how much you could have saved.