Choosing a Financial Professional

Would having a financial plan help you feel more secure? Should you use a financial professional? What do different titles of financial professionals mean? How are financial professionals paid? And, what should you look for in a financial professional?

Choosing a Financial Professional answers these types of questions, and will help you make informed decisions when choosing a financial planner, investment adviser, or other financial professional. The Choosing a Financial Professional series has four documents. These documents are in PDF format, which requires the Adobe Reader. You can download the latest version of the FREE reader directly from Adobe’s website.

• Consumer guide provides an overview of choosing a financial professional, including when you might want to work with a financial professional, titles used and what they mean, how financial professionals are paid, what to look for when choosing a financial professional, and how to find one.

• Who is a fiduciary? explains what a fiduciary is, and which professionals have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients.

• A guide to financial credentials describes licenses, registrations, and credentials held by financial professionals. It provides detailed information about each credential: requirements to obtain it; any continuing education requirements; how to verify that the person holds the credential; and where to make a complaint.

• Interview questions suggests a method for interviewing and comparing professionals to help you with the selection process.

If you are interested in adapting these materials for your organization or state, you can register and pay a fee to receive editable versions of these documents. Click here to learn more about this.

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State/County/Local Groups/United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating.

September 12, 2007

E-mail: CFEwebsite@uiuc.edu

Consumer and Family Economics
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics
University of Illinois Extension
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign