Building up a financial portfolio isn’t easy, which is why many banks and financial institutions have created financial advising positions to help their clients with their money. In today’s digital age however, building a good portfolio is possible without resorting to these advisors.

The idea of engaging a personal portfolio without expert advice might seem backwards, but it can be more rewarding because most financial advisors stick to the middle path; invest in less risky ventures with little returns. They also advocate the buy and hold strategy which might not be aggressive enough for most people.

This isn’t to say that an ordinary investor should let go of his advisor immediately. It can take several months or even years before he can become confident enough to tackle his finances on his own. In the meantime, he should schedule regular meetings with his financial advisor to learn as much first- hand information as he can, and look up the market’s trend on his own.

The investor can then try investing a smaller amount and see if his instincts pay off. Of course, in this market, knowledge and patience pay off better than instinct, so it’s always best to do thorough research beforehand. This is the key to getting more dividends in the long run without resorting to middle- of- the- road financial advice.