For updates and guidance related to COVID-19 / Coronavirus, click here.

Selecting Your Investment Professional

Before you engage an investment professional, make sure you know more than just their name and professional credential:

  1. Use FINRA BrokerCheck to make sure that the investment professionals and their firms are properly registered.
     
  2. Talk with several professionals. Ask about their:
    • Registrations or licenses
    • Areas of specialization
    • Products and services
    • Investment experience
    • Professional credentials
       
  3. 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.