Rating Your Advisor

Red flags:

Financial advice is back in style. Afteryears of a bull market, when stockbuyers found going it alone easy andprofitable, the bears have brought onsweaty palms and investors looking forhelp. Before you choose a financialadvisor, check their record at www.sec.gov/investor/brokers.htm. Your nextstop should be the National Associationof Securities Dealers Web site (www.nasdr.com), where you can go over thebroker's background in detail. A 1-on-1meeting should be your next step, soyou can get a feel for the broker'sinvesting approach. Look outfor promises of exceptional returns andhints that you'll need to trade frequently.Also steer clear of an advisorwho pushes a single product, like a variableannuity, as the solution to all yourinvestment concerns.