Why look for an independent financial advisor?
Well, when you search for an independent advisor, you have a better chance of finding someone who gets paid for their advice and/or their fee-based asset management, instead of deriving the bulk of their income from trades or product sales. Many of these independent advisors set flat or hourly fees for specific services. Some earn a fee that corresponds to a small percentage of the invested assets they manage for you. If your portfolio does well, they do well. Look for meaningful professional designations. In fact, this article is a good starting point: investopedia.com/articles/01/101001.asp. This explains the most respected financial services industry credentials and what it takes to earn them. These designations signify advisors committed to upholding ethical as well as professional standards. In the summer of 2009, there were more than 60,000 Certified Financial Planner™ certificants. In an average year, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. conducts about 80 eth
