An investment advisor can be a game-changer. A capable advisor can help solve most of your financial issues and give you the best investment advice so that you can turn market situations to your favor. But, finding the right investment advisor is not easy. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind while looking for the best investment advisor.

Know what type of service you need

First, you need to decide what kind of financial assistance you need. Do you need help picking investments? Or are you seeking advice on real estate, retirement, or insurance needs? Asking yourself these questions will help determine the type of investment advisor you are looking for.

Choose a fee-only advisor

If you’ve decided to pick a human advisor, the next step is to choose the type of advisor: commission-based, fee-based, or fee-only. If you’re planning something big financially, you must pick a fee-only advisor. Such advisors work for and get paid by other clients like you, so they always act in their clients’ best interest.

Check their credentials

It’s vital to check the credentials of the person who is likely to become your investment advisor. Often the best investment advisors have well-recognized academic credentials such as chartered financial analyst (CFA) or certified financial planner (CFP). If you’re not okay with asking them for their credentials personally, you can verify the credentials on CFA Institute’s site or the CFP Board’s site. However, you must know that only because they have completed these courses does not guarantee that they will only work in your interest. The credentials are only an indication that the person is knowledgeable and has a certain level of competence to serve you as an investment advisor.

Meet them personally

Your relationship with an investment advisor is usually long-term, so you must get to know each other better through face-to-face meetings. You don’t need to select the first advisor you meet. It’s best to get in touch with a few investment advisors and request an in-person meeting if you initially feel like they’re fit to become your advisor. In the meeting, you can ask them anything related to finance that confuses you and notice if they are capable of explaining things clearly. Since you’re about to share almost all personal financial information with them, a certain level of comfort and understanding is crucial.