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FREE Visit w/Financial Planner Tomorrow?

Sugarcubesea

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Hi, I set up a Free hour session with a Financial Planner a few friends highly recommended.

He asked me to bring my 401K statements, IRA Account statements, print out from SS website showing what my projected amounts will be.

What questions should I ask him to ensure he's a good financial planner? I want to ensure I'm doing the right thing to secure my future


Thanks
 

PamMo

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For comparison, if you have $50k in Vanguard, you can get a Personal Financial Advisor for .3% of assets under management. For a $250k portfolio, that's $750/yr. See https://investor.vanguard.com/financial-advisor/financial-advice

If you have $500k, a CFP at Vanguard will develop an extensive plan for your goals, which will take into account your savings, retirement accounts, pensions, social security, taxes, etc. After you go over the proposed plan, you can choose whether you want to sign on with a Personal Financial Advisor, or take the plan and manage your own account.
 

geekette

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Trust your gut. If it seems your goals are not the focus, it's the wrong person. If it seems your risk tolerance is not accommodated, wrong person. If you are condescended to in any way, wrong person.

Your comfort and trust counts. You are not a cookie cutter person with cookie cutter goals and should not be shoved to cookie cutter plan. Ask a lot of questions.

Take notes, check multiple sources after meeting to see if info given tracks with norm. Outlier not necessarily bad, but worth more research. I am an outlier. It's not necessarily bad, just different.
Good luck to you, I hope you find a gem!!!
 

FLDVCFamily

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Ask for their credentials and make sure they are fee-only. A lot of "financial planners" are salesman who put your money into loaded funds and/or annuities to pad their own pockets. Remember, in this country we have a "suitability" standard, not a "fiduciary" requirement. You need to know how they are getting paid, and you need to be OK with whatever the answer is should you decide to go with them.

Years ago, I had the really un-fun experience of untangling my mother's 403b from a loaded fund mess that the "financial advisor" who preyed on her school (she was a teacher) had talked her and my dad into. I moved the outgoing funds into Vanguard, and didn't he call my mom and try to tell her that I didn't know what I was talking about once his free percentage of her monthly deposits stopped. It was infuriating! Luckily she listened to me. Getting the existing money out took 2 YEARS since the funds were also back-end loaded. It was rough, but at least it didn't go on forever. It was also avoidable, because had I known they were visiting this "financial planner," I would have taken the day off of work and gone with them. They just didn't know the correct questions to ask. Now when they work with anyone, I'm aware and my dad knows to ask "how are you getting paid". It's your money, and you have a right to ask that question.
 

Sugarcubesea

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Went to the free planning session and the man I had set the appointment with, John, supposedly his son got sick and the President of the financial advisor firm meet with us. He gave us some good info but it still bothered me that John did not call me on my cell to tell me that he would not be there. His assistant had my phone number because her and I had been speaking and had set up the appointment. I will see if he calls me back to reschedule, if not I will not be reaching out to him
 

Mario2

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I strongly recommend you do some research before you talk to this guy.

Someone already mentioned NBO (next best offer) which is Vanguard. You can try others like Betterment or Wealthfront which offer similar services. It's important to understand the total cost.

Understand if the advisor is a fiduciary is key. There were some recent changes this year (signed into law last year) that anyone advising folks with retirement accounts has a fiduciary requirement. I found the best way to eliminate conflicts of interest is to find an advisor that charges a flat fee. There is an organization that does just that, Garrett Planning Network. Start there to find an advisor that meets your requirements.

http://www.garrettplanningnetwork.com/

Finally, there was a great article that talked about things to consider.
-------------
Here are 10 guidelines to consider during your search and initial meetings:

1. Check on financial industry experience. How long has the advisor been in the business? If they’ve been helping clients for a while, they’ve probably studied countless investment products, been through a bear market and seen all sorts of investment trends and fads.

2. Look for credentials. In this case, a CFP (certified financial planner) should be at the top of the list. CFPs have passed tests administered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards on personal finance. They also must complete continuing education each year to maintain their designation.

3. Ask to see “Form ADV.” Form ADV is a registration form that details an advisor’s business practices, fees, conflicts of interest and disciplinary information. Your financial advisor should provide you with this form or have it readily accessible on their website.

4. Do a background check. Go to FINRA’s BrokerCheck to see regulatory actions, violations and complaints. You can also see employment history, certifications and licenses. A firm’s ADV Form is often available here. https://brokercheck.finra.org/

5. Check fee structure. Typical options are: hourly rates, flat rates, commissions, or fees tied to assets. More financial advisors are gravitating towards the fee-only business (for example, a 1% to 2% fee on assets they’re managing for you). This is usually good for the client since it aligns interests. In other words, if your money manager wants to earn more, he/she needs to grow your assets.

6. Ask about additional expenses. Many advisors use mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts and other investment products. Be sure to ask what the average — or weighted average — expense ratio is for their fund line-up. If a lot of actively-managed mutual funds are used, you could be sacrificing another 1% or more in expenses. While it’s worth paying up for some active managers, it’s helpful to know all-in costs, nevertheless.

7. Evaluate historical performance. How have their chosen funds and model portfolios performed versus comparable indices in the past? Ask to see some real numbers even if they have to white out client names. Don’t fret over short-term underperformance. Instead, look for returns in bull markets, bear markets and over full market cycles. And remember, advisors can provide more value in other areas beyond strict investment performance.

8. How often will you receive updates. When will you hear about your investment portfolio, goal-based progress and overall financial situation? Typical answers will be quarterly or yearly. Also, ask what’s a fair response time to expect if you have a question for them? Hopefully, the answer is same day or within 24 hours.

9. Ask to speak to existing clients. Some firms will even offer this up. Or they’ll have a hand-picked list ready. If not, it shouldn’t be too hard to locate a small handful of clients willing to speak highly of their services.

10. Come with a list of questions. Write down a list of additional questions to ask and bring it to your meeting. Here’s a MarketWatch article with a list of 25 questions if you need more to consider.
 

Sugarcubesea

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I strongly recommend you do some research before you talk to this guy.

Someone already mentioned NBO (next best offer) which is Vanguard. You can try others like Betterment or Wealthfront which offer similar services. It's important to understand the total cost.

Understand if the advisor is a fiduciary is key. There were some recent changes this year (signed into law last year) that anyone advising folks with retirement accounts has a fiduciary requirement. I found the best way to eliminate conflicts of interest is to find an advisor that charges a flat fee. There is an organization that does just that, Garrett Planning Network. Start there to find an advisor that meets your requirements.

http://www.garrettplanningnetwork.com/

Finally, there was a great article that talked about things to consider.
-------------
Here are 10 guidelines to consider during your search and initial meetings:

1. Check on financial industry experience. How long has the advisor been in the business? If they’ve been helping clients for a while, they’ve probably studied countless investment products, been through a bear market and seen all sorts of investment trends and fads.

2. Look for credentials. In this case, a CFP (certified financial planner) should be at the top of the list. CFPs have passed tests administered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards on personal finance. They also must complete continuing education each year to maintain their designation.

3. Ask to see “Form ADV.” Form ADV is a registration form that details an advisor’s business practices, fees, conflicts of interest and disciplinary information. Your financial advisor should provide you with this form or have it readily accessible on their website.

4. Do a background check. Go to FINRA’s BrokerCheck to see regulatory actions, violations and complaints. You can also see employment history, certifications and licenses. A firm’s ADV Form is often available here. https://brokercheck.finra.org/

5. Check fee structure. Typical options are: hourly rates, flat rates, commissions, or fees tied to assets. More financial advisors are gravitating towards the fee-only business (for example, a 1% to 2% fee on assets they’re managing for you). This is usually good for the client since it aligns interests. In other words, if your money manager wants to earn more, he/she needs to grow your assets.

6. Ask about additional expenses. Many advisors use mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts and other investment products. Be sure to ask what the average — or weighted average — expense ratio is for their fund line-up. If a lot of actively-managed mutual funds are used, you could be sacrificing another 1% or more in expenses. While it’s worth paying up for some active managers, it’s helpful to know all-in costs, nevertheless.

7. Evaluate historical performance. How have their chosen funds and model portfolios performed versus comparable indices in the past? Ask to see some real numbers even if they have to white out client names. Don’t fret over short-term underperformance. Instead, look for returns in bull markets, bear markets and over full market cycles. And remember, advisors can provide more value in other areas beyond strict investment performance.

8. How often will you receive updates. When will you hear about your investment portfolio, goal-based progress and overall financial situation? Typical answers will be quarterly or yearly. Also, ask what’s a fair response time to expect if you have a question for them? Hopefully, the answer is same day or within 24 hours.

9. Ask to speak to existing clients. Some firms will even offer this up. Or they’ll have a hand-picked list ready. If not, it shouldn’t be too hard to locate a small handful of clients willing to speak highly of their services.

10. Come with a list of questions. Write down a list of additional questions to ask and bring it to your meeting. Here’s a MarketWatch article with a list of 25 questions if you need more to consider.


Thank you for all of this valuable info... I found an advisor thru your Garrett Planning Network link above and I will make an appointment to chat with him to see if I feel comfortable with him. I'm also reviewing the info you posted above....thanks so much
 

pedro47

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Just look out for those mgt fees., they can reduce your acct big time.

Also when it comes to money nothing is free.. .
 

Sugarcubesea

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Just look out for those mgt fees., they can reduce your acct big time.

Also when it comes to money nothing is free.. .
I have that issue with some accounts I inherited that were from Comerica bank. They take out exorbitant fees
 

pwrshift

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Ive been following Richard C. Young's financial newsletter for at least a dozen years and did exceptionally well on his recommendations. Unfortunately he just announced his retirement from publishing but will be carrying on with financial management for people with $500,000 or more his company manages. Worth a look, I think...https://www.younginvestments.com/
 

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If you want to a DYI option, read up on Paul Merriman. He's written books, recorded podcasts (still does) and written articles, very well known. He publishes a wealth of knowledge for free. He's the guy I direct friends and family to.

http://paulmerriman.com/

The option for DYI vs. advisor really depends on how many assets you have. Although, even though I am a DYI person, I do see the assistance of a financial advisor to make sure I've thought of all the right things (risk mgmt., asset diversification, etc.).
 

VacationForever

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The option for DYI vs. advisor really depends on how many assets you have. Although, even though I am a DYI person, I do see the assistance of a financial advisor to make sure I've thought of all the right things (risk mgmt., asset diversification, etc.).

I think of almost all the right things but don't want DIY and have our investments managed. Our financial advisor often compliments me that I am doing his job for him. Trying to figure out and rebalance portfolio is time consuming and is not something I enjoy doing and that is what the firm does for us. I do update my spreadsheet regularly for refinement - at least a couple of times a week, with several years of projected budget (spending) and where our future income is going to come from. We do pay huge management fees every year but as long as the assets are balanced, diversified and growing, we are happy. There are also some instruments that a lay person has no access to but available through wealth management services.
 
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