Where to get free and reliable financial advice

Finding free financial advice is a useful first step in improving financial decision making. After receiving free and reliable advice, making financial decisions for yourself may be easier and you might be able to better distinguish between good and bad financial advice. Before searching for free and reliable advice it may be a good idea to identify what it is. In light of this, the following information discusses what reliable financial advice is and some of the sources for free financial advise.

Understanding what reliable financial advice is

Since financial advice spans across a number of areas such as taxation, law, accounting, business and personal finance, the information one receives from different advisers may be quite different. Furthermore, it is not required to be certified however many financial planners are either certified through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc or have considerable financial qualification and backgrounds.

A few such backgrounds are chartered life underwriters CLU, licensed stock brokers via series 7, 633, and 66 licensing, and chartered financial accountants CFA. Several areas of financial expertise exist and many individuals experienced in business, finance, taxation, law and accounting may have significant knowledge of the financial world.

In light of the above, the ideal financial advise is informed in many areas of finance, objective and take into account individual situations when assisting with a financial plan. The financial planner and/or adviser should not expose his or her client to unwanted financial risk and provide a breadth and depth of advice that will help that individual achieve their individual financial goals.

When obtaining free financial advice, it may be necessary to consult a number of sources to compare and contrast information and techniques for the one's that are most comfortable individually. A few key points to reflect on when deciding which free financial advise is most appropriate are as follows:

• Compare and Contrast: Financial information may vary and sometimes even contradict. • Investigate and Research: If you don't understand something, don't make a decision about it.
• Customize: Make sure your planner addresses your individual financial needs and goals.
• Prepare: Have financial records, objectives, questions etc. before meeting with your adviser.
• Take time: Think carefully about it to see if it suits individual financial comfort levels.

Sources of free and reliable financial advice

• Family and Friends

The more sources one obtains financial advice from the greater the chance one has to draw comparative conclusions, cross reference information for validity and gain multiple perspectives. If one's friends and family are trained and/or knowledgeable in financial matters this can provide additional credibility to the financial information being received. As with all information, being aware of personal motives, misinformation and bad advice is always important whether the advice is free or not.

• Banking Service Providers

Many banks offer free financial planning assistance as a complimentary service to holding an account and utilizing other banking services with that financial institution. The financial planning advice may vary from institution to institutions and there may be an element of cross selling involved.

Nevertheless, if one is not obligated to purchase any additional products and services, the sessions offered may be both affordable and useful in managing and planning one's financial future.

• Financial and Investment Seminars

Many seminars are held at local hotels by investment gurus, and financial experts in various areas of finance. These seminars are often attended by financially minded people and can afford one the opportunity to learn new financial information, network, and become more engaged in the financial world. These seminars are often complimentary and may also attempt to sell financial and/or investment programs. As with the free financial planning offered by some banks, all one need do is be weary of the selling goals of the information providers and harvest the financial advice without worry.

• The Internet and financial websites

There are many resources on the internet containing free financial advice from trained and experienced professionals. Yahoo finance is one such website that contains the advice of well known financial advisers such as Suze Orman, Robert Kiyosaki, and David Bach all of which are published authors and have significant business and/or financial backgrounds. The advice on financial websites can be plentiful and factual and need only be filtered for one's unique financial situation.

• Helium, Inc. and other personal finance content

www.helium.com is a resource for writers and readers seeking to expand their knowledge of world. The knowledge on Helium is compiled by a diverse spectrum of individuals from different experiential backgrounds and with different areas of skill, knowledge and expertise. The credibility of information on Helium is maintained through a peer ranking system, writer's individual standards of quality and excellence and staff and channel steward oversight.

Summary

Individual financial management is a very personal matter to many people and a good financial adviser will be aware of this point and cater his or her advise with this understanding in mind. There are many sources of free financial advise as this article illustrates and thus the task is not so much in finding the advise but knowing how to use it appropriately as not all sources of financial advice are aware of individuals unique situations.

The more personalized a source of free financial advise can be, the more likely it is to apply to one's own financial situation. When the advice is not customized, asking the adviser how to apply the financial advice to one's unique situation may be necessary and recommended. With free financial advice this may not always be possible leaving some of the guess work up to the recipient of the advice.