The following financial planners listed here are past and present volunteers in our “It’s Your Money” workshops.  We only use presenters who have a present fiduciary relationship with their clients and do not have the ability to sell financial products (do not have a license to sell securities or insurance.)  Presenters are not allowed to collect attendee names.

Financial Planning Resources

How to Choose a Financial Planner

Ask First Form (04-2012)

National Association of Fee Only Advisors – Questionnaire to use for choosing a new advisor

 

Selecting an Investment Advisor

In selecting an Investment Advisor it is important for you to know the legal relationship the person operates under; a professional broker – “suitability” versus a professional financial advisor “fiduciary” standard of care.

In our “It’s Your Money” workshop series we only use presenters who have a Fiduciary (“best interest”) duty of care to their present clients and do not have the “ability” (not licensed) to sell financial products.  Those who have presented at our workshops are listed below.  We suggest highly you meet with at least 3 professionals before you select any individual or firm.

In our workshops every presenter is required to complete the “ASK FIRST” form which discloses the individual’s licenses, credentials, how they get paid, education level, standard of professional care and if they are associated with anyone who sells financial product.  We believe one of the most important issues for you to understand is HOW IS THE PERSON PAID One of the first things to do is to check out the individual on Finra’s broker check and to review how to select such a professional. http://www.finra.org/investors/choosing-investment-professional

When asked about a financial advisor the most common question is about performance of the investment.  Performance is important but unless you understand the goals & objectives, risk tolerance, asset allocation, tax bracket, time horizon, etc. a number does not have much meaning.

So what does a fiduciary financial advisor/bono fide financial advisor, a professional that puts the client’s interests first and agrees that conflicts will be eliminated or discussed actually do?

The following is a list of professional functions under the umbrella of a Financial planner/advisor:

  • Retirement Plan Investment Advice
  • Helping Clients Identify & Achieve Goals
  • Ongoing Investment Management
  • Cash Flow/Budgets/Credit Issues
  • Charitable Giving – Trusts & Foundations
  • College/Education Planning
  • Estate & Generational Planning Issues
  • Insurance Related Issues, including Annuities
  • Alternative or Private Investments
  • Investment Advice without Ongoing Management
  • Real Estate Investments
  • Retirement Planning & Distribution Rules
  • Socially Responsible Investments
  • Tax Planning; Financial Psychology/Coaching
  • Advising on Cross Border Issues
  • Planning Issues for Business Owners
  • Planning Concerns for Corporate Executives
  • Divorce Planning
  • Advising Employee Benefit Plan Participants
  • Financial Issues Between Generations
  • Middle Income Client Needs
  • Newlyweds & Novice Investors
  • Advising Medical Professionals
  • Professional Athletes or Entertainers
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Planning Issues for Unmarried & Same-Sex Couples
  • Women’s Financial Planning Issues
  • Hourly Financial Planning Services
  • High Net Worth Client Needs
  • Advising Entrepreneurs

 

Additional Financial Planning Resources

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) has been promoting client-centered comprehensive financial planning.  This means that NAPFA members can counsel you about almost any issue, including those you have not considered.

Fee-Only compensation indicates that an advisor never accepts commissions or compensation of any kind related to the products he or she recommends.

– How to find an advisor : https://www.napfa.org/financial-planning/how-to-find-an-advisor

– Advisor Search Tool : https://www.napfa.org/find-an-advisor

– Article : Why AUM Fees Still Make (Im) Perfect Sense

The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and also includes members who support the financial planning process.  FPA membership consists of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™, educators, financial services professionals, students and more; FPA is compensation neutral and represents those from diverse backgrounds and business models. FPA’s unique network of nationwide chapters encourage professional development and networking on a local level.

http://www.plannersearch.org/

For a list of CFP Planners only:

http://letsmakeaplan.org/choose-a-cfp-professional/find-a-cfp-professional