Financial Advisors

Overview

Financial advisors are people who give advice on investment and draw up financial plans for individuals or companies. A financial advisor helps you to maintain the desirable balance of investment income and capital gains. They use bonds, stocks, mutual funds, real estate investments, options, futures and insurance products to maintain your investment and make it profitable for you. You should decide on how much you intend to invest and what returns you expect before you go to a financial advisor. Many people go to a financial advisor for advice on portfolio management without any idea of the goals they wish to accomplish. In such cases the financial advisor will find it very difficult to help them. If the financial advisor knows what you need, they will be better able to advise you.

How It Works

You should first decide on how much you want to invest. Based on your financial setup, the financial advisor will be able to advise you where to invest. If you have inherited money from your relative, or if you wish to invest your money for retirement, you can go to a financial advisor. There are many types of financial advisors. Some types are fee-only and others are fee-based. Advisors who get their compensation only from fees and not any commission are called fee-only financial advisors. Fee-based advisors get fees and may take a commission too. The commission is normally a percentage of the profits.
There are many long-term and short-term options you can invest in. The financial advisor will help you to choose a mix of different investments, with varying risk factors. If you are interested in a long-term investment plan, then the financial advisor may recommend more volatile investments that have a long-term reward. It is important for the financial advisors to work with clients and have a fairly clear understanding of the financial goals of their client. They should see to it that the client's risk is minimized and their earning powers are maximized. Choosing from the different types of financial options can involve some risk, but if you select wisely then you will enjoy a higher return on your money with less amount of risk, and a financial advisor can greatly help you in this process.

Benefits

Financial markets are complex and difficult to navigate. There are numerous mutual funds, stock options and other investment funds for you to choose from. A financial advisor knows the best ways for investing and can study the market trends. So hiring a financial advisor may give you an edge in the process.

Cost/Pricing

The cost involved in hiring a financial advisor is the fee or commission they charge. Other expenses depend on how much you wish to invest and the companies you choose to invest in.

Timing

You should hire a financial advisor when you need help maintaining your finances. If you do not know about the market and the various schemes available for investment, it is best to hire a financial advisor.

Company/Industries

There are many companies that offer advice on financial management. Some of them are: Merrill Lynch, Tasman Financial Services, Natixis Funds, and Harrison Financial Group.