Finding A Financial Professional


Those of you familiar with my work know this about me: I’m a big fan of using financial advisors.

The reason: we women are so busy, many of us of don’t have the time, interest, or knowledge to manage our own money (and do it well). Of all the women I’ve interviewed, the ones with the highest networths didn’t necessarily earn (or inherit) the highest income. But the whopping majority did work with financial professionals.

The challenge: how do you find a trustworthy financial advisor?

The strategy: Ask for referrals from people who are happy with their advisors. Or go online to find names of advisors near you. Try these sites:

www.napfa.org — National association of Personal Financial Advisors

www.garrettplanningnetwork.com — the Garrett Planning Network of financial advisors who work for an hourly fee.

www.cfp.net — the website of Certified Financial Planners

The solution: Resist the urge to sign up with the first advisor you meet. Interview at least 3. Ask questions such as these, then go with your gut instinct:

1. Would you tell me about yourself?

2. Do you specialize in certain types of investments?

3. Who are your clients?

4. How do you charge for your services, and what costs might I incur working with you?

5. How often do you communicate with clients, and how often might I expect to hear from you?

6. Have you ever been involved in any lawsuits, arbitration, or disciplinary problems?

7. Is there anything you want me to know about you that I haven’t asked?

Need more help? I’ve written a booklet filled with great advice: Finding A Financial Advisor You Can Trust. You can order it on my website.

I’d love to hear your tips about finding an advisor.

Filed under: News & Updates

Comments & Feedback

  • Yes, you should evaluate many criteria when finding and choosing an investment advisor. Your search for a financial planner should be more like a dating search than a yellow-pages directory. Narrow down your criteria to find the advisor or financial planner who specializes in your situation- Searching and Finding your needs in a Financial Advisor

    This will help you match what you are looking for in a financial advisor.

  • financeblogger

    Barbara this is a nice blog. Keep up the good work!

    There are two basic types of financial planners or advisors some charge a percentage of your net assets under management and make general recommendations on a range of products offered or recommended. The second group of advisors don’t charge any up front fees and offer you products selected for you to meet your needs. They are then paid a commission on the product sales. Sometimes the commission comes out of your investment total and other times it is paid directly by the financial company to the advisors without reducing the amount of your assets with up front fees.

    I am one of the financial advisors that do not charge a flat % fee for the products sold or recommended. The philosophy I work with is what I call Safe money Strategies that offer only products that have no investment market risk for the client.
    Will Rogers once said ” I am more concerned with the return of my money than with the return on my money” I think he would have endorsed the safe money strategy as well.
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Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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