Kiplinger

5 Ways Financial Advisers Misrepresent Themselves

A financial adviser is someone you should be able to trust, someone who has complete transparency and who is on the lookout for your best interests. But there are some using bogus titles, misrepresenting their credentials and misstating facts in order to sell you a product or service. There might even be the chance that your financial adviser isn't licensed -- or at best -- is barely qualified to give the correct advice.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned about such problems before, even issuing an "Investor Alert: Beware of False or Exaggerated Credentials" bulletin a few years ago. The alert warned about the dangers of encountering unlicensed or unregistered sellers of financial products and services. Here are five things to be on the lookout for when dealing with financial advice.

No. 1: Fancy titles

In the last few years there has

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Kiplinger

Kiplinger2 min read
Fed Rate Hike Meets Expectations, But What Next? Here's What the Experts Say
The Federal Reserve served up a widely expected third consecutive jumbo rate hike when it concluded its regularly scheduled two-day meeting on Wednesday. Chair Jerome Powell and the rest of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised the federal
Kiplinger5 min read
What You Need to Know About Life Insurance Settlements
Your life insurance monthly premium can start looking less and less appealing once you’ve retired. It’s a scenario Dan Simon, a retirement planning adviser with Daniel A. White & Associates in Middletown, Del., has seen quite often, even with his own
Kiplinger5 min readRobotics
Retirees: Your Next Companion May Be a Robot
Elliq, a foot-hight robot that looks like an oval lampshade on a small base, greets Monica Perez first thing in the morning, asks her how she feels, and reminds her about taking medications and any upcoming appointments.  “I have good-quality friends

Related Books & Audiobooks