Although ETFs greatly simplify investing, investors should strongly consider using the services of a Financial Advisor and Tax Planner.
If you are a busy professional with multiple investment goals, a messy legacy portfolio and a lack of time to adequately plan and conduct research, then a financial advisor is definitely for you. An advisor can help you quantify and time-bound your goals, develop a plan to achieve them and monitor and adjust your portfolio as needed.
Even if you are a financial expert, a financial advisor can be a good sounding board for your ideas and probably provide some insight gained from helping many other investors similar to you.
If you plan to invest in almost any asset class beyond large-cap common stocks, for example precious metals, currencies, municipal bonds, high dividend yield stocks, commodity pools or foreign equities, then you should also consider consulting with a Tax Advisor who is familiar with these asset classes, ETFs and ETNs.