Investing

How to Evaluate a Financial Professional’s Credentials

I have a finely tuned bullshit detector, thanks to my years on Wall Street.

As a professional investor, listening to company management was like being a Kremlinologist decoding Soviet Cold War propaganda. I paid as much attention to what wasn’t being said, picked apart answers like a biologist sifting through owl droppings, asked weasel-proof questions, and read the energy behind the words.

In my experience, straight shooters made the best management teams.

On Main Street, however, straight talking is in short supply, at least when it comes to personal finance.

Whether you’re building your nest egg or on the brink of retirement, knowing how to assess the credentials of those giving you advice is critical. If you’re young, bad advice will cost you dearly over time. And if you’re in your wisdom years, you’re especially vulnerable to fear-mongering over having enough to last you until your last breath. In either case, your money is desirable.

Cue the financial sharks smelling blood in the water.