Financial Advisor is an individual that provides financial advice or guidance to its customers so that they can claim compensation. They have a lot of services to offer in their bucket:
- Investment Management
- Income Tax Preparation and
- Estate Planning
In order to carry on their business with the public, they need to have a Series 65 license. A wide variety of licenses are also available depending on the services they wish to offer to the public.
A Breakdown of the term “Financial Advisor”
It is a generic term with no precise definition provided by the finance industry insiders. Most of the finance professionals fall into this general category.
- Stockbrokers,
- Insurance agents,
- Tax preparers
- Investment managers and
- Financial planners
All the above are called financial advisors. In some cases, Estate planners and bankers are also called Financial Advisors.
Some of the examples of Financial Advisors
There are cases when a product salesperson, such as a stockbroker or a life insurance agent also falls in the category of Financial Advisors. In true definition, financial advisors are the one who is:
- Well-educated,
- Credentialed,
- Experienced, and
- Financial professional
Who works on his / her client’s behalf, opposite to that of serving the interests of a financial institution. In general, he/she is an independent practitioner operating in a fiduciary capacity making the client’s interests as his / her own. Only those Registered Investment Advisors (RIA), who are regulated by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 can operate in the fiduciary capacity. Some agents and brokers do practice using this methodology, but their salary or compensation structure is designed in such a way that they are contractually bound with the companies they work for.
A whole lot of information about Finance Advisor is available online and a Google Search of this term will better serve the purpose.
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