Tips For Finding an Expert Financial Adviser by John Eather

Long-term planning for one's finances is probably one of the most important activities which will need to be undertaken in a person's life. This is why knowing a few tips for finding an expert financial adviser can make a difference in good personal financial planning. In fact, monetary decisions made early in a person's savings life can have a wide range of impacts in later life, just before retirement - whenever that may be.

What then, are some of the actions a person should take before deciding upon the financial adviser who will help guide him or her through the intricacies of finance and planning for investing and eventual retirement? For starters, a person should never just pick out the first so-called "adviser" who pops up on an Internet search engine's results page. There are a lot of con artists out there and never so much so as in the finance and investments industries.

Always check on a planner's credentials, certifications and memberships in professional associations. No planner worth his or her salt will hesitate at providing background information. In fact, the good ones all encourage potential clients to look at their bona fides carefully before making a decision. Generally, any planner at one of the large financial services companies will have all these attributes.

This is not to say that only the largest companies have planners who meet all requirements, though. There are many independent advisers who are just as competent. Also, advisors and professional adviser firms always seek to make sure they're registered with federal or state securities bureaus and that they've properly filled out Form ADV Parts 1 and 2. The final copy of it can be viewed online at the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) government website.

Trusting blindly to any financial adviser is not a recommended practice. Take the time to do a background check, and look to see if the adviser has had any run-ins with regulators or has received complaints from other investors. All of this information is freely available on the Internet and at the SEC's website. From there, any additional tips for finding an expert financial adviser can be easily obtained.