Questions for your Financial Advisor

Think Again 
In this video, David Kaufman says that the vast majority of advisors put their clients first.  Unfortunately, that is irrelevant since most people cannot tell the ones that do from the ones that don't.  He suggests we ask how the advisor is getting compensated, what future penalties we might incur and how changes to our portfolio represent an improvement to what we had before. Notice the last question for Kaufman about why we do not have a stronger standard for care in Canada.  If you believe what we have is good enough, think again.  Take the following as an example.




Be Educated
You would think we should be able to take people at their word, but the reality is we cannot afford to!  Nobody is going to take care of our money if we don't.  Please, learn how, if you don't know enough already, and please learn more even if you do!

Who's Counting?
In my own family, my Aunt switched advisors at one point, and her new advisor replaced everything in her portfolio.  The only reason, in my humble opinion, for doing so would be to have all the fees and commissions go to the new advisor.  I understand they have to get paid, but we are the only ones, currently,  who care enough to actually do anything about any abuse.  Of course there is the legal system, assuming we have any funds left and sufficient time to wait.

Anyone have stories of their own?  What did you learn from your experience?