Low-cost, on-demand and easy-setup plans from ShareBuilder 401(k). Plans for 1 or more priced from $15-$200/month. Get a Free Quote in minutes.
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Ongoing Financial Planning With Ameriprise Financial Advisors.
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Free Service to Connect You with the Right Qualified Finance Planner
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Connect with a L.A. planner ideally suited to match your needs!
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Provides financial advice and financial planning services for your employees.
www.ameriprise.com
Fully accredited IFA offering solutions for early retirement planning and pensions, wealth creation, financial planning and managed investments.
www.brilliancefp.com
Produced by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, this site helps individuals with financial planning.
www.chicagofed.org
Publishes research on rates, fees, features, and customer satisfaction levels for financial products and services online. Top source for Web calculators that compute borrowing, investing, and spending options for consumers.
www.financenter.com
Provider of online financial planning and general financial services. Services are provided to multiple industries. This company was capitalized by venture capital.
financeware.com
Provider of online investment advisor services. Services are provided to multiple industries. This company was capitalized by private investment and venture capital.
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Provider of unbiased investment and financial planning education.
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Provider of a personalized and interactive suite of financial planning and investment analysis tools.
www.finportfolio.com
Provider and developer of GainsTracker(tm), Internet-based stock portfolio tracking software and services. Provider of financial data aggregation news services through the company web site. Products are sold to the financial industry. This co...
www.gainskeeper.com
Portal that offers financial planning advice and calculators for individuals.
www.ihatefinancialplanning.com
Internet-based investment advisory service that was founded to help individual investors manage their 401(k) investments wisely.
www.mpower.com
Microsoft Network's financial planning and investing service.
moneycentral.msn.com
Financial planning strategies and tools from Citigroup's online brokerage.
www.mycititrade.com
Focuses on the unique investment, custody and financing needs of wealthy families.
www.northerntrust.com
Open and transparent benchmark to measure the risk of the world's financial assets. Allows for a comparison of investment risk across all asset classes, regions and currencies.
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Technical and planning information on Roth IRAs to practitioners and consumers.
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Low-cost, on-demand and easy-setup plans from ShareBuilder 401(k). Plans for 1 or more priced from $15-$200/month. Get a Free Quote in minutes.
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Information on individual debt management and financial planning.
www.stretcher.com
Provider of stock portfolio construction advice, tracking and recommendations.
www.the-gears.com
Towry Law provide a range of financial planning and wealth management services.
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Ongoing Financial Planning With Ameriprise Financial Advisors.
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Growing hardwood trees for harvest is "a near perfect" investment.
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Guide to Choosing a Financial Planner
Choose an advisor who meets your business needsAlthough most financial planners cater to individuals, some focus their efforts on helping business owners with decisions about employee benefit plans, insurance, taxes and more. When hiring a financial planner, consider the following:
- Experience.
- Compensation.
- Certification.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Get financial planning help with insurance
HMO, PPO, POS — with the myriad options available, it's tough to zero in on the best health insurance plan for your business. Some financial planners are licensed to sell insurance and may work on commission; others are paid by you and can help you choose the best plans for your business.
I recommend:
ING offers a slate of financial planning services for businesses, including the selection of employee benefits.
Sift through retirement plan options
Whether you want to create a retirement plan for yourself as a sole proprietor, or you want a plan that will cover you and your employees, a financial planner can help.
I recommend:
Financial advisors at Merrill Lynch and Schwab offer a number of options geared specifically to small business owners and their employees. If you prefer an independent planner, search for one in your area at LPL.com, which has more than 6,500 advisors in more than 4,000 branches nationwide.
Investment plans for you and your business
Ideally, as a business owner, you'll have profits to invest. For unbiased advice, you may wish to use a 'fee-only' financial planner who isn't licensed to sell investment products.
I recommend:
Major investment firms, such as Fidelity, have advisors who can help you find the best ways to invest your company's cash. Find financial planners who aren't licensed to sell investment products at the PaladinRegistry.com.
Tax planning
Financial planners can help you identify additional tax deductions and can alert you to specific reporting requirements for your business.
I recommend:
WiseAdvisor.com offers several matching services to help you find a financial planner who deals with business finances and taxes.
Commercial real estate
When you're contemplating buying or selling commercial real estate, get advice from your financial planner.
I recommend:
Prudential Financial offers a number of services geared to business owners, including relocation services, commercial mortgages and commercial real estate. Search for a Prudential financial planner near you on the firm's Web site.
Check credentials
Anyone can call himself or herself a financial planner. Ensure that your financial planner has the proper education, experience and commitment to ethics by choosing a Certified Financial Planner, a Personal Financial Specialist or a Chartered Financial Consultant.
I recommend:
Download a checklist from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors to help you evaluate financial planners and their credentials.
Consider compensation
Planners may receive a fee, commissions based on selling investments or insurance, or a combination of the two. Fee-only planners may charge a percentage of the assets under management, an hourly fee or a flat fee. Many believe that fee-only advisors provide the most unbiased advice since their income isn't derived from selling financial products.
I recommend:
Search for fee-only planners at NAPFA.org.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide- Keep in mind that many planners have minimum income and asset requirements for clients.
- Get referrals from friends and business associates.
- Be sure to meet with planner for a free consultation. You want to make sure you're comfortable with your advisor and he understands your company's needs.
