The finance world is intrinsically alien to most of us. It’s far more than just saving and spending money and paying down debt.
It involves interest and compound interest, percentage rates and yields, credit scores and net worth. It involves the stock market, mutual funds, estates, and so on.
Head spinning yet? You get the point—finance is complicated.
Yet, for all of us, the path to financial success is so important. It’s why we go to college to get good jobs. It’s why we invest so that we can have retirement security.
At the end of the day, it’s good to have someone — a trained professional whom you trust — to help you wrap your head around it all. That’s why it may be time to consider a financial advisor.
Who are financial advisors?
Most financial advisors are well-educated, well-trained, and highly experienced professionals who provide their clients a range of financial services from tax filing to estate planning.
There are many different types of financial advisors. Here are a few of them:
Certified public accountants (CPAs)
CPAs can help you with accounting, taxes, consulting, and various business needs. CPA is a designation the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) gives to those who pass their rigorous CPA exam.
Prior to taking the exam, CPA prospects must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration.
Personal finance specialists (PFSs)
These are CPAs with more education and experience and specialized training in wealth management. The PFS designation is itself a special CPA designation.
Certified financial planners (CFPs)
Similar to the PFS designation, the CFP designation recognizes expertise in financial planning, including estate planning, retirement, taxes, and insurance.
Unlike the CPA and PFS designations, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFPBS), separate from the AICPA, recognizes and gives out this designation. CFPs must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and pass rigorous financial-planning courses and exams.
Registered investment advisors (RIAs)
These are advisors who work with endowment funds, hedge funds, mutual funds, and commercial banks. These highly experienced professionals must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before providing services.
Finding the right advisor for you
Assess your needs
First, establish what your chief financial needs are. Are you planning for retirement? If so, you may want to talk to a certified financial planner. Do you want to diversify your investment portfolio? Look for a qualified personal finance specialist.
Ask around
Second, ask your family members and closest friends for their go-to advisors. Chances are you’ll have a good rapport with the advisors your friends and family trust, and you want positive relationships with those who help you manage your money.
Look for the experts
Third, make sure the advisors you contact are indeed professionals. Anyone can say they’re a financial advisor, but only those with credentials from the AICPA, CFPBS, the SEC, or a similar nationally recognized organization are experts.
You work hard for your money. Would you trust a Joe nobody to manage it for you? No way.
Check out the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
NAPFA is a group of over 3,000 highly experienced personal financial advisors practicing across the country.
Each advisor must take a yearly oath and subscribe to the organization’s code of ethics — in other words, NAPFA holds its members to very high standards.
The bottom line
If you think you know enough about finance to manage your money successfully by yourself, think again. Managing money is no joke — you need someone you trust to help you.
