Financial adviser

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This article refers to advisers in the UK. Also refer Financial Planner and Financial Planning.[1]

A financial adviser is a professional who renders investment advice and financial planning services to individuals and businesses. Ideally, the financial adviser helps the client maximize their net worth by proper asset allocation. Financial advisers use stocks, bonds, mutual funds and insurance products to meet the needs of their clients. Many financial advisers receive a commision payment for the various financial products that they broker, although "fee-based" planning is becoming increasingly popular in the industry.

Contents

[edit] Financial Planning

[edit] Retirement

One of the major services that financial advisers offer is retirement planning. The financial adviser will typically have great knowledge in the areas of budgeting, forecasting, taxation, asset allocation and financial tools and products in order to establish realistic goals and the strategy by which to reach them. In the United States, this will include the use of several investment tools such as 401(k)/401(k) Roth account(s), Individual Retirement Accounts/Roth IRAs, mutual funds, stocks, bonds and CDs.

The financial adviser will determine what percentage of the available income is necessary--when taking into account the tax liabilities, expected inflation and projected return on investment--in order to meet a minimum balance by the client's target age of retirement. This is a fairly straightforward calculation, and there exist many automated tools that do this. The financial adviser's greatest contribution will be that of asset allocation: determining how to maximize the return on investment while satisfying the client's risk tolerance.

[edit] Investing

Financial advisers may help their clients invest for both long and short term goals. It is the financial advisers duty to determine the clients goals and risk tolerance and then to recommend appropriate investments. Traditionally, the longer the time horizon to the goal, the more the adviser would recommend more volatile investments with greater long term potential, such as stocks and stock mutual funds. If the client has shorter term goals, the adviser may recommend less volatile investments such as cash, Certificates of Deposit, and bonds. Althoguh these instruments have historically had lower long term results, they are less prone to a large short term loss.

[edit] Independent Advisers in the UK

Under UK polaristion rules the concept of the Independent Financial Adviser or IFA was born. To be independent of any insurer or other third party interest ensures the client receives unbiased advise. The non-independent advisers are therefore company representatives, and thus may have a conflict of interest. Since 1st December 2004 the Financial Services Authority has introduced a new classification of multi-tied adviser who may represent more than one company. Examples of multi-tie advisory networks include Intrinsic Financial Services [[2]] and Openwork (formerly Zurich Advice Network) [[3]].


[edit] Regulation

In the United States of America, the NASD regulates and oversees the activities of more than 5,050 brokerage firms, approximately 172,050 branch offices and more than 663,050 registered securities representatives. A financial advisor or stock broker should be licensed to provide any consultation on investment in securities. Typical licenses needed to promote the sale of stocks are the: Series 7 (stock broker exam), Series 63 (state exam), and Series 65 or 66 RIA Registered Investment Advisor Law exam. Generally, any advisor who charges a fee for investment advise would need to also have the Series 65 or 66 license. Thus, anyone can call themselves a financial planner but they would still need NASD licenses to provide advice for a fee or be registered as an investment advisor with the SEC Securities and Exchange Commission in the USA. Many brokerage firms still claim an exemption for their employees who sell fee based products and services.

[edit] Companies

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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