Planning for your financial future is one of the most important tasks you can tackle. However, most people do not have the expertise to navigate past all the landmines of financial planning. Financial planning means more than how just to invest your money. It means finding ways of avoiding unnecessary taxable incidents and planning for the unexpected problems.

Many people have accounts in different areas. This causes a huge problem not only for them but also for heirs or caretakers if something happens to them.  It becomes mandatory that these people simplify their financial picture. For that reason and tax planning, people often seek the services of a financial advisor for financial advice.

It is quite intimidating to look for someone to help you. Most people do not know where to start, what to ask or how to go about selecting the right financial planner to help you for example selecting the right company pension. It is best to go in armed with a list of questions. The answers to these questions can guide you in your selection of the right advisor for you. If you do not feel comfortable asking the advisor because of his demeanour, move on and find someone else.

1. What are your qualifications and experience? A good financial planner often has many years in the financial industry.  Someone with at least five years of experience will not use your account as training ground. Educational training and a degree is important also. While the may not be in the financial area, it shows that the individual finishes what he starts and has a desire to learn.

In addition to a college degree,   your financial planner should also have a special designation that shows further training in the financial areas. These professional designations are CFP, AIF, CPA/PFS and CFA. There are also other designations but these tend to be the top ones for training as a financial planner.

1. Are you an Investment Advisor Representative, IAR or a Registered Investment Advisor, RIA? These designations are important if you want them as your financial planner. It means they can collect a fee and licensed to do more than simply be a stockbroker or insurance rep.
2. What is your CRD number? You can use this number to see if the advisor has any disclosures on their record and even make certain that they gave you legitimate information on their licensing and credentials.
3. What type of compensation do you receive? Some financial advisors receive strictly commissions. Others receive fees. The worse type of payment arrangement is an advisor that receives both fees and commissions for his services.  The best compensation arrangement is normally a fee- based financial advisor. They do not have a conflict of interest or base their answers on the amount of commission they receive.
4. How much money do you have under management and how many clients do you have? The answer to this question gives you insight into several things. First, if the advisor has few clients, he may not last long enough to help you. If he has a very large client base, he might neglect you because of too many tugs for his time. If you divide the number of clients into the asset base, you will get an idea of the average portfolio of the clients he has. You want the average to be close to the amount of assets you have.  If your account is smaller, you might find you receive less attention. If your account is far larger, the advisor may not have the type of experience you require.
5. What is your fee structure? If the advisor charges a fee, you need to know the types of fees and the amounts that the advisor charges. Ask for a fee schedule and compare it to other advisors.

By interviewing several financial advisors, you will find that you will eliminate several simply by asking the appropriate questions. The rest of your decision comes from the comfort level you feel when you work with the advisor.