Many of the goals that we set ourselves throughout our lives are related, in some way or another, to the improvement of our economic status. Growing professionally, buying a home, purchasing a car, planning your children’s future, or managing your assets to guarantee retirement are some of the goals many people set.
Although depending on our age, these economic needs are changing. The truth is that the focus on which of these dreams you pursue rests on saving. However, those who could manage their finances by themselves without significant complications now face larger problems such as inflation and the need to avoid it. The profits obtained do not translate into losses.
These economic issues and changes are why it may become necessary to hire a professional financial advisor to help plan a budget and investment plan. While many financially responsible adults may determine they need the help of a financial advisor, they may also have difficulty determining how to find one. Here are five steps to choosing a financial advisor that works for you.
Listening
Choose a consultant who knows how to listen. In the relationship between the professional and the investor, both can speak with confidence. Conveniently, you tell the expert what your starting situation is, what your goals are, and not let them sell you their products but prepare a proposal of advice that contemplates different products that are thought to achieve your objectives. In addition, you should talk about the returns that can be obtained, but also the risks.
Certification
The expert must have specific training in financial advice. In general, the advisors have knowledge related to finance, taxation, and, even, law. In addition to having a higher degree, they must have specific training in proven counseling with more than 150 hours of training. It is recommended that, in addition, you have obtained some accrediting certification, such as the one granted by EFPA.
Experience
Experience and demonstrable successes are a great plus. At the time of choosing the advisor, the professional trajectory that he credits will be key. In the markets, as in any other sector, experience allows us to cope with volatility with great determination and with determination.
In addition, it is advisable to be well informed about the expert who will be used to know if the strategy he applies to their clients is also carried out with themself and obtains good results.
Independent Advisor
Make sure you go to an independent consultant. There are two types of advisors on the market: those who receive commissions from third parties for recommending some of their products and those who work entirely independently.
For this reason, it is advisable that, before going to an expert, you know what kind of advice will be carried out and that this will be completely transparent when it comes to billing your services.
Cost
You will need to consider what you can afford when hiring a financial advisor. Knowing how much an adviser’s service costs is complicated since there are different methods of payment. Some charge through a fixed fee, others do with a commission taking a percentage on the portfolio’s profitability, and those prefer to use a mixed formula.
In addition, you can consult these professionals promptly and pay them for the service provided. Be that as it may, the best thing is that you value the type of advice you need and estimate how you will pay for it.
And, most importantly, that the service we pay for brings us closer to our goals since, in these cases, we should not get carried away by the words “expensive or cheap,” but by the profitability. Finally, make sure that before choosing a financial advisor, you could contact several experts, and you can stay with the one that helps you in a more effective way to achieve your goals.
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