On my blog, one of the topics I like to cover is explaining how the personal financial advice industry works. Most people get financial advice from someone who is a salesman of insurance, annuities, mutual funds, and other products. You can also get help from someone whose main profession is something related like a CPA or lawyer who offer advice as a side business. The best way to get advice however, is from someone who functions as a consultant.
There are financial advisors out there that charge by the hour for financial advice. They often call themselves financial planners to distinguish themselves from financial advisors. You can find these financial planners through industry associations like the Garrett Planning Network and Fee Only Network.
I say it’s best to work with a consultant style of advisor because the consultant works only for you. Ask yourself what someone’s motivation is. A financial advisor employed by an insurance company or investment company (like Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.) has sales managers above them making sure they sell a certain number of contracts every month. You don’t want to be one of those sales targets. It may work out for you, and there are representatives who do look out for their clients, but ask yourself what their motivation is before signing anything.
By hiring a financial planner that charges fees only and no commissions, you are going to get an advisor who puts your best interest ahead of their own. Ask the advisor to sign the fiduciary oath. Advisors out to meet sales performance targets won’t put their fiduciary duty in writing. By going with a consultant style of advisor, not only will you get sound financial advice, you won’t wonder if the advisor recommended a product because his sales manager told him to.