James Bond, the agent, does what he does in a fast-paced, thrilling and sexy way. And this is just the way we like it. But what happens if that agent happens to be your financial advisor?

The financial world today is run and managed by agents (banks, funds and CEOs) that we as principals (depositors, shareholders and unit holders) do not understand or question often enough.

Our agents did things that we did not fully understand and did not bother to check on or limit in the run up to 2008. So clearly we should be questioning what it is they are doing.

In the movies, M gives Mr. Bond a clear view of the mission, what are the sensitive points, what is the objective and what tools he may need to use.

Agent 007 simply has to follow the mission.

M keeps a close eye on Mr. Bond and (rightfully) has a nasty habit of knowing what he’s up to, and when he’s trying to bend the rules.

And as we know too well, Mr. Bond is very easily distracted by the bonuses of his line of work. So too are our financial advisors. And it’s up to us to rein them in.

Your money is your responsibility and no matter what your agent does, at the end of the day it’s your agent, and they will do as much or as little as you allow them to.

In the movie we get pretty excited and want to see 007 solve the mission in his daring and explosive way without any limitations from M.

Back home in the real world, if we receive a letter from our insurance company about our retirement savings and we find something amiss, how often do we just leave it and hope that it will work out in the end?

For too many, the answer is too often. When it comes to your retirement savings, the last thing you want is a fast-paced, thrilling, and sexy experience.

After all, there is nothing less sexy than an underfunded pension.

/Ulf Egestrand