Financial advisor??
 

am looking for a "financial advisor" not a planner who wants to sell me some product just someone to ADVISE where or what to invest in during these volatile times and perhaps look over our portfolio to see if we're heading in right direction. any advise?

I sent you a PM

financial advisor?
 

I'm not sure how to reply to private posts?? is your financial advisor here in the villages or near by??

I think advisers are compensated by being paid for the investments they sell or by billing your directly for their services. The latter are called fee only advisor. I think this organization may help you find one Fee-Only Financial Advisors Home - NAPFA - The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. I listen to an advisor on itunes but have no firsthand experience. He will work with clients not in his area. I think this is the type of person you are looking for. I think he charges about 1% of your portfolio value per year. Brian Preston's "Money Guy" Blog and Podcast

I'm looking for one also. Of the 3 I've interviewed, I like Andy Patrick at Citizens First. Have you any opinions. I think they charge less than the 1% per year but it's a different schedule. Don't know about just an hourly rate advisor

Jeff Grunke with Cebert Wealth. Your consultation with him, just to go over your options etc., will not cost you a cent. He's honest and good at what he does!!

I have been with Cebert for over 10 years and they are very honest people. They just hooked up with Morgan Stanley. They have over 500 million in accounts on their books, great company.

I don't think Cebert is what the OP was looking for since they do indeed seel things like annuities ... which was a pretty substantial part of their recommendation when I spoke with them.

I don't have a local financial advisor because I still rely on the one I had who helped me with planning my teaching retirement when I still lived in Michigan.

With that long run-on sentence said...I will tell you the name of a local financial company that many of my good friends use...here in The Villages. It's Fross and Fross. My friends can't say enough positive things about them. However, they don't work with nickel and dime clients (me)...only with "select".

So, if you have a lot of money at stake...contact them. They are top notch, according to my many friends.

financial advisors
 

Basically advisors get paid one of three ways, fee for serivce, assets under management, or a commission on what ever they sell you. You can ask upfront how they are compensated for their advise. Alot of people like the assests under management because it ties your advisor to your account. If the assest go up the advisor gets a pay raise it the assets decline he gets a pay cut. The better that you do the better the advisor does. The advisor has a vested interest in your account. You should meet with your advisor at a minimum of once a year, more frrquently at the start. Most assests under management programs allow you to change from fund to fund without additional charges.

Now I'm not sure if this is true or not, ( I only heard from others) that Cebert doesn't bother with you unless you have 500,000 to start with?? Is that true?? If so, I better move on to other options??

Some financial planners/advisors do have minimums while others either don't, or theirs are lower. Best thing to do is to go straight to the source and ask them. They will let you know if they have minimums.

Some, like Fross and Fross, will give you one of their associates to work with if your assets under management do not meet the threshold that the Fross brothers demand for their attention.

We met with F&F as well as Cebert and, while somewhat impressed, came away disillusioned with the heavy amount of variable annuities that both firms recommended. Perhaps they are right for some people or perhaps my evaluation of them is wrong, but I think that VAs are not the best investments. They do generate large commisions for those that sell them, however.

What made me suspicious of Cebert is that when they show you "actual numbers" of how an annuity would have faired in a specific period of time, the numbers looked fantastic. However, when I asked them to run a different time period, they said they would and would get back to me with the results. They never called back.

What made me pull back from F&F was they were proposing that part of my funds be invested with a third party money manager. They showed how investments with this manager would have done over the previous 10 years - which, again, looked fantastic. However, in researching the data that was used by this manager in creating the nice-looking graphs, hidden in the fine print was that the first substantial number of years of this data was "simulated" based on how they "would have invested" had the fund existed during that time period ... which it didn't. Just a bit too much creativity in marketing for my tastes.

Several years ago when we were considering financial advisors one of the most important things for us was that we both felt comfortable with the person and firm before moving forward. We've been with our final decision for 5 years with no major compaints to date.

I've had Advance Capital Management. So far, so good. They are in Spanish Springs.

I just got back from an investment seminar with Fross and Fross and set up an appointment with them are they really into pushing variable annuities? I may just be wasting my time.

Don't know the company but someone has to pay the marketing costs. What ever you decide to do postpone any decision for 3 to 6 months to see if you change your mind or find something better.
Annuities serve a purpose but with the low interest rates we have now I would postpone an annuity purchase until rates get back to what ever will be normal.

What I have read and found is to stay away from variable annuities. Read "Beware of your financial advisor" by L. T. Drake. It is a free book with Kindle. Short but some very good information in it. Taught me to also ask some better questions.

Thanks guys, I figured as much, nobody is gonna look out for your financial future more than you yourself.

Vanguard
 

The only one who TRULY cares about your money is you! Read about every type of investment you can. DO NOT invest in anything you do not understand. You may want to investigate Vanguard. It is own by the investors :read:

I had a series of meetings with them a couple of years ago. I liked their "bucket" approach to investing. However, they wanted to put a significant portion of my portfolio in variable annuities and another large chunk with some money managers who appeared to have a great track record ... until you read the fine print that much of this track record was based on simulations of how their customers would have made out if the company had been in existence for the 10-year priod that they were showing results for - which they hadn't been.

Someone has to be paying for their polo team and the million dollar building ... and it must be the clients.

great information..as I understand a fee only guy is the way to go.

We were very satisfied with Melissa Klug of Grace Advisory Group. she was very helpful and easy to work with. Her contact information follows

Melissa Klug

Financial Advisor
Oakland Hills Professional Plaza
13940 US Hwy 441, Bldg 900, Suite 903
Lady Lake FL 32159

Tel (352) 750-6118 Toll Free (866) 481-5550

Fax (352) 750-6119

Email: melissak@gracetax.com

YES - the only ones we now use is Fross & Fross at Sumter. They are wonderful professionals, smart, and they do it right. Most investment companies around here want to sell you life insurance, annuities, long term care, etc. because they make Big commissions on these products. Be proactive and smart with your assets. Advisor/planner what matters is your asset protection and income for the long haul!
MV

My husband and I also use Fross & Fross. Never tried to push annuities on us and so far we have been very happy. My advice would be to interview the different companies yourself and see who is the best fit.