Even if you’ve done your own financial planning for years, in this current period of financial instability, as investments and retirement funds tank and the stock market swings wildly from one day to the next, you may want to consider the help of a professional financial planner.

Here, from The Sacramento Bee, are five pointers to help you find and choose a personal finance advisor:

1. Get personal recommendations.

   As with any other service, when picking a financial planner, you should choose someone who you know has a proven track record. Ask friends and family not just who they would recommend to manage your finances, but why, so you can get a better idea of which recommended advisors you might work best with.

 

2. Research background and credentials.

   Make sure that the candidates you’re considering to handle your finances have the necessary educational background, hold a clean compliance record, and are properly certified and licensed. Verify certifications and licensing with the Certified Financial Planner Board or other relevant professional organizations.

   Look for financial advisors with at least five years’ experience, who have had some time to grasp the ebb and flow of the markets and whose expertise fits your financial needs.

   Keep in mind that if your needs have more to do with personal taxes or estate planning, you may be better served by meeting with an accountant or an attorney.

 

3. Schedule face-to-face appointments.

   Meet with at least three financial planners in person before you make a decision. See if they can speak about your finances in terms that are easy for you to understand, and grill them as much as you need to in order to gauge how knowledgeable they are in their advertised area of expertise.

   Pay close attention to how much of what they say is a sales pitch and how much of it is solid, fact-based advice.

   “The biggest mistake people make is being very heavily influenced by the advisor’s personality and sales skills,” says Jack Waymire, author of Who’s Watching Your Money: The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor.

 

4. Ask for fee and compensation structures in writing.

   Find out ahead of time whether you’d be paying a potential advisor a flat fee, an hourly fee, or a fee based on a percentage of your investment assets, and whether these fees are payable in a lump sum or in installments. Get fee schedules in writing, and make sure that any payment arrangements a financial planner agrees to in discussions with you will be binding.

 

5. Nail down accessibility.

   Being able to easily get a hold of your financial planner in an emergency situation, especially right now, as the global markets teeter on instability, will be critical, both for your investment portfolio and for your peace of mind. Ask potential advisors about their preferred form of communication, whether it’s by phone, e-mail, or in person, and find out what their after-hours availability and return-call policies are.

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