I hung up the phone and immediately felt verklempt.

The caller told me someone recently helped him with his retirement fund.  Now he wanted advice on the best way to continue receiving that help for cheap.

Insert -> Ah-Ha moment.

Some folks will gladly use your time and not compensate you.

If they do attempt to compensate you, it will be in a way that benefits them.

Not you.

I spent 8 minutes on the call.

According to online career resource websites, that time is worth $ 6.35.

Why the caller felt comfortable asking me how to screw someone out of time was a bit unsettling too.

Either the caller thought I was an easy mark or a hustler.  Neither position felt good in this instance.

I offered one word.

“Ask”

OK, maybe I added a few more words.

 “Ask how s/he wants to be compensated.”

“Stockbrokers get paid.  Financial consultants get paid,” I told the caller. “Someone helping you with your retirement account may want to get paid in a way that is beneficial to them.”

*Call Ended*

Now, this may not be a “NewsFlash” for you.   But if it is, your time is valuable.

You have about 657,450 hours to spend in a lifetime.

If you want to share your time, that’s a beautiful gesture.

If it’s your choice how to use those hours.

And the ROI (return on investment) benefits you.

And how you use your time helps you achieve your goals.

Thank you for reading and sharing your time.