Guidelines in Choosing the Right Financial Advisor for You
The money that you earn on a regular basis is not going to be permanent, that is why making wise investment choices is key. However, things can get scary for first-time investors. This is the part where hiring financial advisors can be of great help to you.
When it comes to financial advisors, you have plenty of options of these professionals. But then, some important things must be kept in mind as you go about looking for possible financial advisors to hire. Because of the revelations that have been known from the Wall Street scandals, investors are now being careful as to the person they hire to take charge or manage their money. Furthermore, investors these days are also taking some time to consider the effectiveness of their investment strategies.
Currently, due diligence is being applied by a lot of investors in order for them to select the right financial advisor to work for them. For people who have not yet tried investing in the market, selecting a good financial advisor is also part of their concern. Your choice of investment advisory company is also vital. There are a lot of questions when it comes to finding these professionals. In order for you to select the right professional for the job, below are some crucial things to remember in financial advisor selection.
When it comes to hiring financial advisors, you have to assess if he or she has a fiduciary responsibility. It is vital that you keep in mind that only a small number of financial advisors are actually registered investment advisors. Based on state and federal law, every registered investment advisor must make sure to hold a fiduciary standard. You need to understand that a great majority of financial advisors are just broker-dealers. They often hold a lower diligence standard on behalf of their clients. Knowing how financial advisors is compensated is the best way for you to find out if they hold a fiduciary standard.
In the financial industry, there are generally three common compensation structures. You have the fee-only compensation, fee-based compensation, and commissions.
If you want to minimize conflicts of interest, the fee-only compensation structure is the best way to go. With fee-only financial advisors, clients are directly charged for their ongoing management and advice. Their knowledge is the only thing that they have to offer you.
Meanwhile, fee-based financial advisors will be earning some of their money from the fees their clients pay them. In addition, they also earn from discounts or commissions from other financial products that they legally sell. These financial advisors do not inform their clients about their compensation. This may create possible conflicts of interest.
Immense conflicts of interest, on the other hand, are expected in financial advisors compensated through commissions. Only after selling or buying the financial product can this financial advisor be compensated by commission.