10 characteristics to help you find the right Financial Planner

Finding the right Financial Planner for you can be hard work.

When looking for the right Financial Planner, there are plenty of things to look for.

Once the hygiene factors of regulation, qualifications, experience and fees are satisfied, just what characteristics should you be looking for to pick the right Financial Planner for you?

Here are ten characteristics that could help you find the right Financial Planner.

1 – Happy

They smile a lot and don’t take themselves too seriously. They enjoy what is that they do and have fun dealing with you;

2 – Engaging

They are genuinely interested in the life that you live, your family, your work and your hobbies and interests;

3 – Interesting

They have a life outside of Financial Planning and talk about their lives interests and hobbies;

4 – Questioning

They ask you a lot of questions not just about your assets and liabilities income and expenditure but about your goals and objectives and how you feel about things;

5 – Caring

They care about what they do. They care about their profession and how it is changing and progressing and have strong views on this subject;

6 – Networked

Other professionals like accountants and solicitors know about them and what they stand for, they know of their reputation;

7 – Suitability

They are all about suitability of the advice and planning services they provide and that is about suitability for you not them;

8 – Honesty

They tell you what they don’t know. If they know they are not expert in a particular subject they will recommend someone who is;

9 – Independent

They are independent of thought. No one tells them what is the right thing for their clients;

10 – Regulated

They are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, they are members of a Professional Body whose code of conduct they have signed up to, they are suitably qualified, experienced and skilled.

What other characteristics do you look for in your ideal Financial Planner?