A Guide To Finding A Financial Planner

In your effort to locate the right financial planner for you, you need to meet with and assess candidates. How can you assess them though? Your first question should be about experience. You need to ask about past work experience in order to find out how that knowledge will be relative to your current situation. Ask how many years your planner has been in the business, how many companies have they been associated with and the types of companies as well. You will also need to find out about any special services your financial planner could provide, for example, if you will also be seeking investment advice, it is important to find a planner that knows how to work effectively in a downturn market and economy. You should inquire as to the prospective planner’s credentials. It is important to realize that the title “financial planner” is broadly applied to many different types of industry professionals. It is wise to ask any potential consultant what they believe qualifies them to provide sound financial planning insight. You may wish to secure proof of professional certifications including that of Certified Financial Planner or Chartered Financial Analyst. Possession of these types of credentials is evidence of long term commitment to the financial services industry and the knowledge necessary to pass certification testing. Another useful question to ask is what types of continuing education the planner intends to pursue in order to stay abreast of industry trends and changes. Find out what services the candidate is capable of offering. Proper licensing and credentials are required for many services. Lacking proper licenses, financial planners may not offer insurance or securities products such as mutual funds or stocks nor offer investment advice without registrations with state or federal authorities. Some planners are only eligible to give advice in particular areas such as tax matters or financial planning, while others are not licensed to sell financial products but can offer financial planning advice on a broad range of issues.

Your next question should be whether or not the planner works independently of financial product sponsors. Some planners work for discount or full-service stock brokerage firms, banks or insurance companies – this is what is known as financial product sponsors. It is important to know what type of financial situations or clientele the planner enjoys working with, so you know what to expect. For example, some financial planners will provide professional advice only in specific areas, yet others can create a multi-faceted plan that will bring all of your financial goals together under one umbrella. Be sure to choose a planner whose viewpoint in financial investments matches your own to avoid getting someone that is too cautious or too aggressive for your tastes. You should establish the fees each candidate would expect. The planner’s fees will be determined by your needs but they should provide you with an estimate of potential costs based on the work you will be requiring. The potential fees would include the planner’s hourly rates, flat fees and any percentage they would expect in the form of commission on any products you purchase as part of their planning recommendations. Determine whether the candidate is licensed. Even though some states do not require licensing, the consumer may very well still insist that their planner be licensed and regulated. Many un-licensed financial planners offer advice in securities or insurance. The importance of licensing is to assure the qualifications of a candidate since in order to be licensed you must pass examinations and have mandatory annual continuing education.

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