If you’re not an expert in money matters, hiring a financial adviser to manage your money life can be a tough decision. It’s almost impossible to know every financial arena well, because they can be so specialized. Estate planning is completely different from picking the right investments, for example. Managing a portfolio is different from crafting a monthly budget.
Fee-only financial planners come with certain advantages and disadvantages that investors should consider.
“Ultimately, you need to feel confident in the advisor’s competency, objectivity, and responsiveness to your needs,” says Van Sant. “The advisor-client relationship, like many relationships, is built on trust and communication, so doing the proper due diligence in choosing an advisor should provide long-term benefits and peace of mind for all parties.”
……And while we’re on the topic of ethics: Fiduciaries are required by law to put your interests before their own. In addition to that, a subset of fiduciary firms are fee-only, which means they don’t sell any products or services beyond their relationship with you and act as a fiduciary in all parts of their business. The word fiduciary gets used incorrectly all the time, but a true fiduciary has very few conflicts of interest, with all decisions made in the client’s best interest. For me, these two criteria – being a CFP and a fiduciary – should be non-negotiable when choosing an adviser…………
….I recommend that you limit your search to fee-only financial advisors. They are more likely to put your financial interests ahead of their own since they don’t earn commissions from selling you products and services….
…..Such advisors often call themselves “fee based,” hoping you’ll confuse them with “fee only” planners. Fee-only planners are compensated only by the fees you pay; they don’t accept commissions or other compensation that could influence their advice.
This guide decodes the wide variety of certifications and services—along with a checklist of what to ask before you choose
…..Many professional associations have large directories. For example, the National Association for Personal Financial Advisors lists fee-only, fiduciary planners….
