It is the main responsibility of the financial planner to help his client with planning that will yield the best results possible.

First of all see that you get an accredited planner. He/she must be able to show a professional qualification obtained through a recognized association. Almost all countries have accreditation associations for Financial planners nowadays.

A sincere professional person will not mind at all if you ask for proof of membership and or qualification.

The Financial planning profession, in many respects, suffer the same maladies that the legal profession suffered in the late 1800's and early 1900's, credibility. The biggest problem with many financial planners is that they have to be specialists in more than one area of expertise: A kind of super general practitioner.

When you accept the Financial planner's advice you "buy" an idea from him and as a result invest your money through him/her.

Having said the above, let's look at how a financial planner can assist you. We will also later look at how to avoid bad or inappropriate advice.

Before we look at how the financial planner can help you, you must make an honest evaluation of yourself. Not only your financial position at present, but how do you accept advice. Are you one of the 80% of the population who buys what they desire or one of the 20% who buys what they need? The aforementioned is the financial planner's greatest problem to overcome. Many people buy what is popular or what makes them feel good (ego).

Are you able to honestly communicate your wishes and needs as well as dislikes to such a person? The single biggest problem the "buying" public has is the popular TV and radio programs that create a specific kind of perception. Many clients, who don't have the kind of disposable income or capital available, will often insist on an investment plan that does not suit their financial profile. Financial planners are just human and also have staff to pay and families to feed and cars to maintain. They don't have 26 hours a day to their disposal; they often budge to pressure by a client and sign the client up for the wrong plan or product. Instead of doing what they know is technically correct, they give the client what the client demands. This is seldom to the client's advantage and neither to the advantage of the Financial planner; valuable repeat business is simply lost.

At the risk of being boring; and short of writing a complete manual, the steps that's

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