The 1st question to ask your financial adviser

Brace yourself. Going to a financial adviser can be like talking to a used car salesman.

Some hustle you toward certain funds because they make more money that way.

It's "legal larceny," says Robert "Bobby" Monks, an entrepreneur and author of "Uninvested: How Wall Street Hijacks Your Money and How to Fight Back."

Bad advice hurts. American families lose an estimated $17 billion a year because of the "salesman" financial advice, according to President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers.

"The system is so weighed toward Wall Street. It's a systematic structure to suck fees out of people," Monks says. He thinks 1% to 1.5% in total fees for everything is about right, but he believes many advisers are get closer to 3% because people don't check.

Obviously, you want to an adviser who won't bleed you dry and is genuinely interested in helping you invest wisely so you have enough money for retirement or that dream vacation to Antarctica. How do you get that?

Heather Long | CNN Money

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