Financial Advisor vs Financial Planner: What’s the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Financial Advisor vs Financial Planner: What’s the Difference? ›

A financial planner will help you work out what you want from life and then create a financial plan to make it happen. The key difference between a financial planner and a financial advisor is that a financial planner focuses on you and your goals, whereas a financial advisor focuses on your money and your investments.

While the distinction between financial advisor and financial planner may be murky for consumers, many financial professionals have a clear idea of what it means to be an advisor versus a planner. Advisors are often focused on investment management, while planners take a more holistic approach to help clients.

Remember, financial advisers are more likely to oversee investment portfolios, whereas financial planners are more often engaged in the long-term planning aspects of one's finances. Think of advisers as looking at your finances through a more nuanced microscope, where planners focus on the big picture and endgame.

Deciding to work with a financial advisor is a personal choice. There is no set litmus test for whether you need one. If you have investable assets, personal and financial goals, or questions about your finances, you may want to hire a financial advisor.

It might come as a surprise, but your financial professional—whether they're a banker, planner or advisor—wants to know more about you than how much money you can invest. They can best help you achieve your goals when they know more about your job, your family and your passions.

A financial planner works with clients to help them manage their money and reach their long-term financial goals. They advise and assist clients on a variety of matters, from investing and saving for retirement to funding a college education or a new business while preserving wealth.

Limited availability: Financial advisors may not be available at all times, which can be a problem if you need urgent advice or assistance. Risk of scams: unfortunately, there is a risk of financial scams in the industry, and it's important to be aware of this risk when working with a financial advisor.

A financial advisor is an investment professional who can assist you in creating and implementing a personalized plan to pursue your financial goals, from college planning to retirement and more. Often, financial advisors undergo special training and licensing that allows them to serve in this capacity.

A financial advisor can assist with almost any aspect of a person's financial life, including budgeting. Financial advisors provide an array of services, ranging from investment management to estate planning.

There is no entity that requires someone calling themselves a Financial Advisor (FA) to meet minimum requirements. No education standards. No licensing.

How much money should you have to see a financial planner? ›

Generally, having between $50,000 and $500,000 of liquid assets to invest can be a good point to start looking at hiring a financial advisor. Some advisors have minimum asset thresholds. This could be a relatively low figure, like $25,000, but it could $500,000, $1 million or even more.

A financial advisor can help you hone in on your goals and map out a way to achieve them. This can be anything from starting to invest, buying real estate, saving for an emergency or retirement, or something else.

But even the best financial advisors are at the whim of the market. Most professional investors who try to beat the market actually underperform it over a given time period. And those who do manage to outperform the market over one time period can rarely outperform it again over the subsequent time period.

It is risky to give your bank account login ID or password to a financial advisor or anybody else. Note that your advisor might be able to see your checking account and routing (ABA) numbers when you establish online transfers.

They don't get caught in analysis paralysis and are good about making decisions for themselves. If you have a handle on your financial life, feel confident in navigating the material available to you, and enjoy doing it yourself, there is no point in hiring a financial advisor. You already have it well under control!

A financial advisor is worth paying for if they provide help you need, whether because you don't have the time or financial acumen or you simply don't want to deal with your finances. An advisor may be especially valuable if you have complicated finances that would benefit from professional help.

Fee-only fiduciary financial advisors

Working with a licensed, registered fiduciary — preferably one who is fee-only — ensures that the advisor is paid directly by you and not through commissions for selling certain investment or insurance products.

What Are the Ways Financial Advisors Get Money? The three main ways advisors get money are via commission, hourly-based fees, and advisory fees. Rates and average fees within these frameworks can vary widely, and some advisors may combine two or more structures.

Registered investment advisors are legally fiduciaries, but broker-dealers and other types of money managers are not. Some financial advisors, such as certified financial planners, may also be fiduciaries.