Financial Planner: Do I need one ?

The best time for young people to consider hiring a financial professional "is when you land your first real job," says Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America. "At that point, you have a variety of financial issues to consider, such as your 401(k) plan and your benefits," and a financial plan will set you on an appropriate course, she says.



For savers with modest assets, Ms. Roper says, a fee-only planner is generally the best match. These planners only sell their time, at a cost of between $100 and roughly $250 an hour, depending on where they're based geographically. Because they don't pitch products tied to a particular company, "it minimizes the potential conflicts," she says.

To find local planners, consumers should ask friends, family and colleagues if they can recommend someone they trust. Several Web sites, including the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (napfa.org), the Financial Planning Association (fpanet.org) and the Garrett Planning Network (garrettplanningnetwork.com), which emphasizes planners who charge by the hour, offer locater services to help find planners in your area. Planners with a CFP designation, for certified financial planner, have passed a comprehensive exam that typically requires multiple years of study.

Some savers want not just planning, but money-management services, as well. That adds extra charges, either through commissions or an annual fee based on a percentage of the assets under management, usually up to 1% or 1.5%. If you're a buy-and-hold type of investor, paying commissions for money-management services can make the most sense, because these can work out to be less than continually paying an annual management fee when your portfolio doesn't change.

Source: finance.yahoo.com
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