Monday 28 September 2009

How Much Should Professional Financial Advice Cost?

By Richard Moran

It really isn't that hard to find a professional to help with your finances. Many times the larger firms have staff to help, if you don't mind a somewhat bias opinion. But to get the best, advice without talking to a "salesman", you may have to be willing to pay some money.

How Should You Start

Let's start with the easy, uncomplicated way of searching for advice. The first place should be your phone book. That way you'll know where the firm is located an if it will be convenient for your purposes. Assemble a small list of firms from the phone book, call and see what you can learn on the phone. Then you can determine if they will charge for a personal consultation and if they do what that fee will be. Also ask if they do charge a fee, and you contract their services if that fee will be credited back to your account. With the economy the way it is the firms may be more flexible in their charges.

Check with friends and business associates.

If you are not able to get the information that you need from the phone call, then you can talk to some of your friends or family that may have already been looking into financial help before you were. They may have had some good experiences with a certain financial adviser and can point you in the right direction. They may even be able to help you get a discount because they helped you find them.

Research

Once you have found someone that you think you would like to work with, you can take their information to the Internet. This way you will be able to find out anyone else's experiences with them. This will help you to pick the right person for your needs and help you to save some money in the long run.

Most of the financial websites that are independent will have unbiased appraisals of both firms and particular professional advisors. There are many websites by "celebrity" advisors such as Jim Cramer who give advice directly on the internet or through their websites. Chat rooms, blogs, or forums often address peoples experience with particular firms or advisors. Don't expect all good things, everyone has some detractors in the world. With this method you should be able to cull out the better candidates.

Getting financial aid is not difficult but you must find the right person/firm who understands you particular situation and goals. They must comprehend your tolerance for risk, and where you hope to be in 5, 10, 20 years. Use the person who has the best track record, and someone who is comfortable discussing all the aspects of your finances and the experience will prove profitable for you.

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