How To Get Free Help With Your Finances

October 08, 2015

Want free help with your finances? From the beginning of Oct to the beginning of Nov, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ Board of Standards, the Financial Planning Association®, the Foundation of Financial Planning, and the US Conference of Mayors are offering Financial Planning Days in cities all across the country. At each event, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals will be volunteering to provide free one-on-one financial counseling and education sessions to members of the public without selling products, giving out business cards, or collecting contact information. Continue reading “How To Get Free Help With Your Finances”

How to Minimize Your Investment Costs

October 09, 2014

In my last 2 blog posts, I discussed the various ways financial advisors can be paid and how they can present conflicts of interest to an advisor. But how would your actual investment returns be affected? Let’s take a look at some scenarios: Continue reading “How to Minimize Your Investment Costs”

Should You Use a Fee-Only Advisor?

October 02, 2014

Last week, we discussed the dangers of using a commissioned-based financial advisor. One way to avoid those conflicts of interest is to work with a fee-only (not fee-based, which is fees PLUS commissions) advisor. Instead of selling investments for a commission, they typically charge a fee that’s a percentage of the assets they manage for you. You can search for a fee-only advisor through NAPFA, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. Continue reading “Should You Use a Fee-Only Advisor?”