Some Financial Adviser Credentials Are Not Trustworthy

If you're working with a Certified Financial Planner, you might feel confident that you are working with a fiduciary -- someone who is required to put your interests ahead of their own. Unfortunately, you could be wrong, because under current rules, CFPs are not required to remove all conflicts of interest. They're just required to be more upfront about them with their clients.

Starting on October 1, 2019, that could change, because that's the date the CFP Board has decreed that all of its Certified Financial Planners must become fiduciary advisers or risk forfeiting their CFP designations.

It seems there's finally a way to find an adviser who's working only for you, instead of a broker who's trying to sell you something, right? No, not really.

Confused? I'll bet. To clear this up, and help you find unbiased financial advice, let's explore the different adviser credentials, what they mean and how you can look beyond them to find the help you need.

First, Let's Set Some Context

There are dozens of financial adviser credentials and designations, far too many to