155: How to Find a Financial Planner + Giveaway Winners!

Hey, I'm Chris.

I'm a former Analyst, Podcaster, and Producer. My goal is to help you understand your finances better in about the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn!

Today I will be announcing the two winners of Anthony ONeal's book, Debt Free Degree, and sharing details on a new month-long giveaway from our new partner, Cons and Kernels! I'll also be sharing some tips on how to find a financial planner.

This bag of popcorn is brought to you by Cons & Kernels! Check out their delicious popcorn with flavors such as Sweet Sriracha, Cinn City, and Peanut Butter & Honey by visiting https://consandkernels.com/shop!

How To Find A Fee Based Financial Advisor?

Finding a financial advisor is kind of like finding a good doctor, therapist, or even a hairstylist. Word of mouth can help, but it's not a guarantee that you're going to work well with that person. If you're like most of us, you don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash just waiting to be managed by an advisor. 

This is why I think a fee based financial planner would be the best option in this scenario.

What is a Fee Based Financial Planner?

As the name implies, fee based financial planners charge a flat fee for their services. In contrast, some advisors charge clients based on how much money they manage for you. 

Their services are provided by charging you a flat fee.

Where Do I Find A Fee Based Financial Planner?

I found a few resources to help you in your search for a financial advisor:

Napfa.org

According to their website: ‘The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors is the country’s leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors. Highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.

We have developed high standards in the field and each advisor must sign and renew a Fiduciary Oath yearly and subscribe to our Code of Ethics. The association provides support and education for over 3,700 practitioners all over the country and is governed by the NAPFA Board of Directors and supported by our four Region Boards.”

XYPlanningNetwork.com 

According to their website: “The XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.”

GarretPlanningNetwork.com

According to their website: “The Garrett Planning Network is a national network of hundreds of hourly-based, Fee-Only financial planners. We exist to make competent, objective advice accessible to all people. Our staff of five full-time employees and a team of professional coaches and consultants facilitate discussions on our private intranet forums, lead educational webinars for members throughout the month, and host our membership at our Annual Retreat conferences.

Through these channels, subject matter experts share best practice ideas in all areas of financial planning practice management, including: operations procedures, technology, marketing, counseling and communications, compliance, productivity, business planning, and financial planning technical matter.

We also provide our member advisors with tools, templates, and software, as well as, eLearning courses and access to hundreds of continuing education events. However, the lifeblood of the Garrett Planning Network is its member advisors. They are an incredibly vibrant, supportive, connected group of professionals of diverse backgrounds who’ve come together for the greater good and well-being of their clients and themselves. Imagine tapping into the collective wisdom of hundreds of experienced, educated, thoughtful, creative minds — that’s what’s available through the Garrett Planning Network.”

All of these sites allow you to search for financial professionals in your area, using your zip code or address. 

A great feature of these sites is that they let you narrow your search by the planner's area of expertise. 

So you can do your search based off of retirement planning, estate planning, and a variety of other search criteria. 

The sites also display if the financial professional carries any designation such as CFP (Certified Financial Planner).

What Do I Do After I Find ‘The One’?

Once you've completed your search, find a few names that you think will work for you. It's going to be a similar process to finding a doctor or a hairstylist.

Keep in mind that just because someone appears in the search doesn't mean that you're going to enjoy working with them! Ask for a consultation to make sure they’re a good fit!

It may take a little time to go through these sites. Make a list of individuals and narrow them down to the people that you think will work best with you. 

This should give you a good place to start your search.

Thanks again Terry for sending in your question and congratulations on being one of our giveaway winners!

Make sure to follow Popcorn Finance on 

I'll be sharing details on ALL of the upcoming popcorn giveaways throughout the month of November.

Stick around past Thanksgiving because December will be filled with a whole new set of giveaways. 

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