This guide contains:

Background on financial advisors
Qualities to look for in financial advisors
How to find the best financial advisor for you

This independent guide was created to help you understand the basics of financial advisors and to help you choose the right financial advisor for you. We do not provide any financial advice ourselves, so you can be confident that all of the information in this guide is independent and unbiased.

Background on financial advisors
Financial advisors are in business to provide consumers advice regarding investments, insurance, retirement, taxes, wills, trusts, and more. By specializing in the financial industries and related products and services, they provide the average consumer advice, assistance and expertise that they cannot get on their own. In this way, consumers can assess their current situation, define their financial goals, and put a plan in place to achieve those goals. As your financial picture and needs change, your financial advisor will help you adjust your program based on your changing needs.

Qualities to look for in a financial advisor
Since the stakes are so large, finding the right financial advisor for you is very important to your life's goals. You want a financial advisor that has intangible qualities like integrity, trust, and other positive character traits. You also want a financial advisor that has the experience and expertise that will help you achieve your financial goals. Here are some of the ways to compare some of the tangible qualities of a financial advisor:

Range of Services
When looking for a financial advisor, some people know exactly the type of service they want, and other people don't really understand the range of products and services that are available- they just know that they want someone who knows more than they do help them achieve their financial goals. And they might not even know what their financial goals are yet! It's important to know up front that there are a variety of financial products and services that are available: