Many of the goals we set ourselves throughout our lives are related, in some way or another, to improving our economic status. Many people put some goals to grow professionally, buy a home, purchase a car, plan their children’s future, or manage their assets to guarantee retirement.
However, 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 hiring a professional financial advisor to help plan a budget and investment plan may become necessary. 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. Both can speak confidently in the relationship between the professional and the investor. Conveniently, you tell the expert what your starting situation and goals are, and do 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. The advisors generally have finance, taxation, and even law knowledge. 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. Experience allows us to cope with volatility with great determination in the markets, as in any other sector.
In addition, it is advisable to be well informed about the expert who will 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 to recommend some of their products and those who work 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 must consider what you can afford when hiring a financial advisor. Knowing how much an adviser’s service costs is complicated since there are different payment methods. Some charge through a fixed fee, others do with a commission taking a percentage of 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 to value the type of advice you need and estimate how you will pay for it.
Most importantly, 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 can contact several experts and stay with the one that helps you more effectively achieve your goals.
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