Selecting Your Investment Professional
Before you engage an investment professional, make sure you know more than just their name and professional credential:
- Use FINRA BrokerCheck to make sure that the investment professionals and their firms are properly registered.
- Talk with several professionals. Ask about their:
- Registrations or licenses
- Areas of specialization
- Products and services
- Investment experience
- Professional credentials
- Understand how you will pay them for their services. Investment professionals are typically paid in one (or more than one) of the following ways:
- An hourly fee
- A flat fee
- A commission on the investment products they sell you
- A percentage of the value of the assets they manage for you
- A combination of fees and commissions.
For more information, see FINRA’s Working With Your Investment Professional. Also see our more detailed section on Choosing an Investment Professional.