How to Choose a Financial Advisor

It’s all about trust.

Information on any given topic is at your fingertips in an instant. When it comes to your finances, your retirement and your future, you need more than information—you need an experienced advisor you can trust.

At Harsin Wealth we have all the latest wealth management tools, plus the experience to know how to properly use them. Rather than one-size-fits-all plans, here you’ll get customized solutions that fit your unique situation, developed by an experienced and caring team of finance professionals.

As you consider your financial advisor options, keep the following in mind:

Business model

Some advisors, like us, are independent, while others are representative of a large Wall Street firm. They may be more about selling you products, while we represent your best interests for an agreed-upon fee. And you are greeted by someone who knows you personally and can easily access your advisor—no call centers to navigate through!

Recognition

Has the firm been recognized by its peers, its clients, and by its partners for being exemplary? Has it received any awards? If so, what were the criteria?

Credentials and competency

Calling yourself a financial advisor doesn’t require much in the way of education, unfortunately. So, take the time to check out a firm’s credentials. Have the financial advisors done the hard work to earn the widely-recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ / CFP® credential? Becoming a CFP requires experience, advanced education, and passing a multi-day exam with a lower pass rate than the Washington State Bar exam! Your future self will thank you for choosing to work with a financial advisor who has demonstrated his or her skill and competence.

Compensation

How does the financial advisor get paid? Are they comfortable discussing this with you? In some cases, conflicts of interest may arise when an advisor is inclined to put you into investments or make transactions in order to generate more revenue. Make sure their compensation aligns with your own best interests.

Overall philosophy

Find out how your advisor approaches financial planning. Are they proactive about preventing problems or reactive when problems arise? Do they recognize that all of your finances are connected and look at the big picture? Do they think independently and critically? Are they willing to go against the grain when necessary or do they go with the crowd?

Backing

Ask the tough questions, including those you may not have thought about before:

  • Who is behind the financial advisor?
  • If the advisor dies, what happens?
  • If the financial advisor steals your money, what happens? What are the safe guards in place to protect you?
  • What is the reputation and history of the firm backing the advisor?
  • What do they provide to you and to the financial advisor?

Services and capabilities

Does the firm offer the services you need? What do they do—and not do? What is their specialty? How do they deliver their services?

We can help

We are happy to answer all of these questions, and any others you may have. Just give us a call at 425-774-9477, or email us and we’ll get right back to you.