A financial advisor can be found through an online search, at events, or through the recommendation of friends.

Believe it or not, while there are thousands of resources and databases, the best way to find a Financial Advisor is to ask your friends.

You will need to determine a few basic criteria when looking for a Financial Advisor, such as geographical location, his or her age bracket, years of experience, frequency and medium of communication, and the amount of fees you are willing to pay. While there are thousands of resources and databases, sometimes the easiest way to find a Financial Advisor is to ask your friends.

This will often lead to an advisor with some common interests and social connections upon which you can build rapport and trust. There is a small chance that your friends aren’t aware of how their advisor compares to other professionals, so it still makes sense to do some of your own research, just in case.

Factors such as geographical location, age bracket, years of experience, size of assets under management (AUM), specialties or niche markets, fee or compensation structure, and potential complaints or disciplinary actions can all be uncovered online. For example, if a Financial Planner is what you are looking for, visit the Financial Planning Association and verify the planner’s credentials.

Finally, you will want to make sure to hire an advisor that is best for you specifically: set up a few interviews and be sure to ask many questions that will give you a clear understanding of the advisor’s methods and fees.

You need to make sure that you are on the same page with your advisor, that you will have open lines of communication, and that it is someone you can trust.

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