Personal Finance Advisor: A Complete Guide
A personal finance advisor is a professional who gives financial advice and services to clients according to their specific needs. They give advice tailored to their customer’s need and mitigate risk. A personal finance advisor gives wide variety of services aligned with their client’s current and future goals. Some personal finance advisors get flat fee for their services and some of them earn commission from the sale of investments. A typical personal finance advisor develops a financial plan for their clients that evaluates their current as well as future financial needs.
Some personal finance advisors are paid a percentage of the client’s assets and professional organizations like FPA(The Financial Planning Association) and NAPFA(National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) can help us to locate personal finance advisors in our locality. It is absolutely important to verify the history and credentials of each and every personal finance advisor whom we seek help from. A prospective investor can ask a personal finance advisor whether they have FINRA licenses or professional designations. Personal finance advisors are passionate about finding a job opportunity with wealth management firms like Fidelity, Vanguard, and Charles Schwab. The role of a personal finance advisor is different from that of an adviser and they are legally bound to act in best financial interests for their clients.
Qualifications Possessed by Personal Finance Advisors
Personal finance advisors in USA should hold the series 7, the series 66, or the Series 65 licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Every American state demands the series 63 license before an investment advisor can conduct business within its borders. Additional qualifications possessed by personal finance advisors include CFP(Certified Financial Planner), CFA(Chartered Financial Analyst), ChFC(Chartered Financial Consultant) and RIA(Registered Investment Advisor). CFP qualified personal finance advisor will be a master expert in taxes, insurance, estate planning and retirement. CFA(Chartered Financial Analyst) qualified personal finance advisor is equipped with deep knowledge of accounting, economics, money management and security analysis.
Every qualification of personal finance advisor demands a strong awareness of the ethical requirements for financial planners. Designations like CFP, CFA ,ChFC, and RIA are considered as good indicators of a personal finance advisor’s experience as well as training. The designing of a financial plan by a personal finance advisor involves a comprehensive evaluation of the current and future financial state of client. It takes into account different factors like age, financial goals, saving for education, purchasing home, and generating income.
Different Aspects of Financial Plan Made by Personal Finance Advisor
Education, net worth and financial experience of client is taken into consideration while making a financial plan for client by personal finance advisor. Tax liabilities, asset allocation, future retirement plan and estate plan are extra aspects of financial plan made by a personal finance advisor. A skilled personal finance advisor does not reuse templates on different clients and well experienced personal finance advisors incorporate customer’s financial journey, attitude towards investing, attitude towards budgeting, and continued education about financial topics in financial plan. An ideal financial plan conceptualized by a personal finance advisor should be fluid that allows for occasional updates. A bachelors degree is a minimum requirement for becoming a personal finance advisor.