You should know right away that a financial advisor is not a God-send angel to whom you have to bow down. He is also not doing you any favors. He has developed his skills over time so that you can recognize him in the crowd. While he is doing you an favor by helping you to set your financial course, you are also giving him the chance to show his worth and add another feather to his cap. Financial advisers are not without their clients. So deal professionally. You are entitled to understand the reasoning behind every step he takes, and the guidelines he follows. On your side, it is important to be fair with him and not expect to get rich off of his services. We hope this clarifies the questions that were causing the difficult task of selecting a financial advisor to seem so daunting.
It all depends on what kind of advice you need. Finding the right financial advisor is all about doing the work.
How do you manage your pensions? Year-long savings? Or, a long-term care planning? Perhaps equity releases? These have specialised advisors who will help you choose the best option for your needs. Even when you are designing your insurance plan, you can get specialized services. You can get specialized services for home, car, or travel.
Referrals from family members or friends are fine, provided that the service provider has a track record of positive achievements. It’s sufficient for people to trust someone based on nice treatment.
This is easier if you are a member in good standing of an affinity group or union and have access to the financial advisers they have chosen. You can also find one yourself. You should ensure that all the people you are going to or will choose from are registered with a regulatory board, such as Financial Planning Services and Bookkeeping For Small Business. This ensures that the service provider follows ethical guidelines and will not be able to compromise your resources through arbitrary experiments and whims. They are bound by the rules that they must follow when dealing directly with you. It also means that they will be charged a consultation fee, which you must pay regardless of whether you appoint them to your job. These advisers will always have higher educational qualifications.
The following is a general rule of thumb:
- They can be either fully independent or limited in their capabilities. Restricted advisers can only offer certain types of retail investments products, while independent financial advisers can deal with all types of retail products.
- Nearly all of them offer holistic financial planning. This is providing advice on all aspects required for financial success.
- Financial Planning Advisors are insurance brokers. They don’t charge anything extra for the product.
- The language of the investing world is its own. So that you don’t get ridiculed about what you are saving and how you plan to do it, you must be familiar with the essentials of your financial advising industry. You’ll be fine if you have the basics.