Choosing A Financial Planner
Financial planners make money in three different ways: commission based, fee based and charging hourly.
Commission based financial planners: Often these are more like sales people. They make their profit off of generous commissions by steering you toward the products they recommend. That said the advice given can be good. Just remember to make money they have to sell you the product or strategy they’re affiliated with.
Fee based planners: Maybe a better choice than a commission based planner is the fee based planner who charges a percentage of the assets being managed or invested. This removes incentives to to sell you products with high commissions. But be aware they also have an agenda. They may recommend strategies that will keep your money free so they can earn more by managing it, as opposed to putting it in real estate for example where your investment capital is tied up.
Hourly based planners: A good choice because this planner charges for their time not for selling. Because they don’t sell financial products their objectivity is maintained. Just make sure the planner is competent by checking out references.