— Lew

When new clients start working with me, I want to meet them to see if they are the kind of client I can help and want to work with, and this first meeting gives the client a chance to get to know me to decide if they like my way of working and my philosophy of planning and investing.  You need to take the time to do this since all planners are not right for all clients.  Some planners will not charge for this introductory meeting.

You also need to be clear if you want a financial plan and are willing to pay a fee for the plan and for the advice.  These are fee-only planners.  Other planners will do some planning for free if you do your investing with them and they will make their money from the sales charges on the products they sell.  You usually find these planners in a brokerage firm of some kind or an insurance firm.  You have to make sure that this person will listen to what you need and want done and will use the appropriate investments for you.

Some planners will charge a fee for the plan and if you hire them for the investments management this is a separate contract.  The way this is calculated will depend on your planning needs and the dollar amount  of your investments.

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™   is one of the best professional designations for a general planner who has an understanding of and an acceptance of the planning method.  If you have a very specialized need,  some planners focus on that area of work like small business,education, divorce planning etc.  Often a general financial planner will work with some other professionals if a part of your need is outside their realm of competence.

I hope this is helpful to you.