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    Choosing A Financial Advisor

    With the promotion in the papers, television, web, and magazines, we're all acquainted with the likes of Bernie Madoff and R. Allen Stanford. Those two "financial advisors" are accused of bilking their customers from $60 Billion and $10 Billion respectively.

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    What in the world is happening? Who can you Trust? How can you shield yourself? How do you locate a financial advisor which you can trust?

    How in the event you start to guard yourself?

    There are many measures you may take to safeguard yourself? As with everything in life, nothing, including these measures, can ensure your financial advisor is fair or will carry on to be honest. But in the event you obey these four measures you may be better shielded from the likes of the Madoff's as well as Stanford's of the world when you pick your financial advisor.

    Communicate With friends, relatives, and coworkers for names of these trustworthy advisers. Referrals from other individuals would be the easiest way to get names of financial advisors. When you have a name than start with measure one.

    Your initial action will be to visit finra.org, people's watchdog organization for financial advisors and brokerage firms. FINRA is the acronym for Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. It is made in 2007 with the consolidation of the NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers) as well as the enforcement and arbitration sections of the Ny Stock Exchange.

    About the FINRA website, examine the investor's section and click the "FINRA Brokerage Check" tablature. This allows you to check on both counselor and also the brokerage firm the financial advisor is affiliated with. It will likely be recorded here if there have been any issues or gripes using this counselor or brokerage firm. You have to do this first even when the counselor was referred to you personally. Recall Bernie Madoff and R. Allen Stanford? They did their company only through referrals.

    Once you're met in everything you've read about the FINRA website your second measure is in assembly, face to face, your possible new financial advisor. That Is your chance to interview the individual who might be managing your life savings.

    There's an old expression that you do not get another chance at a first impression. This is especially significant when you talk with your possible financial advisor. That "gut" feeling you get when you meet and speak with this specific man can help you determine whether this man is a fit for you personally.

    Inquire yourself are they overly competitive? Overly smug? Overly conservative? Overly laid back?

    Recall this individual is someone whom you'll be coping with for several years. It's hard to trust someone if you do not feel comfortable together.

    The next measure is requesting this financial advisor for references. Question them, "Who are three customers of yours that I possibly could keep in touch with"? Now all of US are aware the counselor will give you three individuals that s/he understands well and gets along with. But that's not the purpose. The purpose is the counselor's reaction to the question. Did the financial advisor hesitate to say ok or did the financial advisor state that s/he does not reveal that type of info?

    There might be a really valid reason for not planning to let you know because it can be against the policy of the brokerage firm to give out "any" customer info. According to my expertise, it is a feeble reason. However, what you've done is draw out the brokerage firm along with the financial advisor so that it meets your demands not theirs.

    Perhaps you just like the notion of the not revealing any customer names under any situation. Then again perhaps you do not enjoy the concept of the sensed secrecy. Request for three customer names as well as their contact information. Call the individuals. Listen from what they need to say really attentively. Subsequently determine when this is a man it is possible to work with, feel comfortable with, and will expect to trust.

    The fourth part of selecting a financial advisor is going back to step one and begin all over again. I can not stress this strongly enough. You need to look in at least three financial advisors before your selected. These four measures are merely the start. This is a time consuming procedure. It Is your money and time. What would you like to do?

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