STATE OF CONNECTICUT STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF BANKING DEPARTMENT OF BANKING INVESTOR EDUCATION SERIES
STATE OF CONNECTICUTSTATE OF CONNECTICUTDEPARTMENT OF BANKINGDEPARTMENT OF BANKING
INVESTOR EDUCATION SERIES
Always Be CarefulAlways Be CarefulWhen Choosing a When Choosing a Financial PlannerFinancial Planner
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A is for AdviceA is for Advice
• What kind do you need?
• Examples: Securities, Taxes, Estate Planning, Insurance
• Planners giving advice on securities for compensation must be registered with
the State of Connecticut Dept. of Banking or the SEC
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Licensing At A GlanceLicensing At A Glance
• June 30, 2010
Broker-dealers Registered 2,509Broker-dealer Agents Registered 140,300
Investment Advisers Registered 496SEC Registered Advisers Filing Notice 1,871Investment Adviser Agents Registered 9,947
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B is for Background CheckB is for Background Check
• Find out if the planner has any disciplinary history (lawsuits; regulatory actions)
• You can do an online check, or we will send or e-mail you the information
• We do not tip off the planner that you
are asking for information
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Check FirstCheck First• FINRA BrokerCheck
www.finra.org/Investors/ToolsCalculators/BrokerCheck/
• IAPDwww.adviserinfo.sec.gov/
Connecticut Department of BankingConsumer Affairs (860) 240-8170Securities Division (860) 240-8230Toll-free 1-800-831-7225
www.ct.gov/dob
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C is for Conflicts of InterestC is for Conflicts of Interest
• Planners must tell you about any conflicts of interest that prevent them from giving you unbiased advice
• Example: Planner also works for a brokerage firm and gets commissions
for securities product sales
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D is for DisclosureD is for Disclosure
• By law, investment advisers must give you a disclosure document (“brochure”) describing their compensation, background, investment strategies, services and areas of expertise
• You should receive the brochure prior to, or when you sign the contract (you have 5 days to cancel the contract if you get the brochure at the time of contract signing)
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E is for ExperienceE is for Experience
• How long has the planner been giving investment advice?
• Does the planner have experience in
your area of interest?
• What is the planner’s work history?
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F is for FeesF is for Fees
There is no such thing as a free lunch
(that mailed “dinner seminar invitation”
notwithstanding!)
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Fee Only PlannersFee Only Planners
• Only get paid for giving advice
• Does not matter if you follow the advice
and buy a securities product
• Usually an hourly charge or by project
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CommissionsCommissions
• Paid to a securities product seller (like a broker-dealer) for buying or selling securities
• Decrease your total investment
• Planners can get commissions if they are also associated with a brokerage firm
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Fees and CommissionsFees and Commissions
• Planner receives both
• Also called “fee based” or “fee offset”
• Watch out for other fees (initial consultation fee; follow-up review fee)
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Wrap FeesWrap Fees
• You get a bundled set of investment services (brokerage; advice) for a set fee
• Planner may get a portion of the wrap fee you pay to the product sponsor
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G is for Guaranteed ProfitsG is for Guaranteed Profits
• If your planner guarantees profits
RUN TO THE NEAREST EXIT!
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H is for High Return/No RiskH is for High Return/No Risk
If you planner tells you a product
has no risk and high returns
HE’S LYING
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I is for Industry DesignationsI is for Industry Designations
• Show that the planner is pursuing
continuing education in her field
• But beware of titles suggesting a
specialty in seniors’ affairs
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Common DesignationsCommon Designations
• CFP (Certified Financial Planner)
• ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant –
insurance)
• PFS (Personal Financial Specialist –
CPAs)
• CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst –
securities)
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R.I.A.R.I.A.
• Stands for Registered Investment Adviser
• Not an industry conferred designation
• Just because an adviser is registered with Connecticut (or with the SEC) does
not mean that the government has given him its stamp of approval
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J is for JawboningJ is for Jawboning
• Beware of planners who brag about their past performance
• Unscrupulous planners prey on your greed, reluctance to object, guilt, unwillingness to look dumb, etc.
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K is for Know Your ClientK is for Know Your Client
• By law, investment advisers have a fiduciary duty to recommend products
that align with your financial goals and
risk tolerance
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L is for LiquidityL is for Liquidity
• Tell your planner if you need ready access to funds (e.g. to pay bills)
• If you need to access your funds, long-
term or locked up investments are not
for you
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M is for Multiple HatsM is for Multiple Hats
• Your planner must tell you if she is working for multiple firms (e.g. selling securities products for a brokerage firm)
• It is not uncommon for brokerage firms to set up shop in banks – looks aren’t everything!
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N is for Number of ClientsN is for Number of Clients
• Ask the planner how many clients he has, and whether he only services high-
income clients
• Beware if his only experience is managing his own securities portfolio
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O is For One Size Fits All PlansO is For One Size Fits All Plans
• Ask to see a sample of financial plans
the financial planner has prepared
• Beware if the plans look the same –
or recommend the same product(s)
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P is For Personal AttentionP is For Personal Attention
• Ask the planner whether she (or an assistant) will be working with you
• If you’ll be working with an assistant, do the same background check and homework on the assistant that you’d do on the financial planner
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Q is for QuestionQ is for Question
Ask the planner as many questions
as you want – after all, he’ll be working
for YOU
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R is for Risk AssessmentR is for Risk Assessment
• Before you meet with the planner,
think about how much investment risk
you are able to bear
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S is for Schooling (and Services)S is for Schooling (and Services)
• Did the planner graduate from the Wharton School of Business – or the
local academy of hair design?
• Nail down the planner on precisely what services he will provide
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T is for Take Your TimeT is for Take Your Time
• You don’t have to follow the planner’s recommendations right away
• If the planner pressures you to buy
a particular product, be wary.
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U is for Understand the StrategiesU is for Understand the Strategies
Beware of the “Einstein Effect” – the planner telling you that the investment strategy is so complicated, only he understands it
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V is for VarietyV is for Variety
Interview several planners before
deciding on one
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W is for Writing (Get it in)W is for Writing (Get it in)
• Ask for a copy of the adviser’s
brochure – and read it beforehand
• Review the advisory contract before
you sign it
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X is for X Marks the SpotX is for X Marks the Spot
Don’t give the adviser discretion –
the ability to trade securities for you
without your permission – without
granting that authority in writingand thinking it through
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Y is for You Are in ControlY is for You Are in Control
Make the Adviser
WORK
For Your Business
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Z is for Zero In on Your FinancesZ is for Zero In on Your Finances
• Familiarize yourself with your financial
plan
• Read your account statements carefully
• Keep up-to-speed on finance byreading newspapers and periodicals