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A few details from yesterday’s big day.
“Federation total comp up anywhere from 8 to 20 percent (with those graded at the bottom– you know that 5% we allegedly can every year– probably getting zero increase). People are happy compared to what we know about competitors but not happy overall. E.g., I was 40% down from 2009 through 2011, so 19% up still leaves me net backwards.”
You know what they say: You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your financial planner. Or something like that. One of the great things of being in charge of your money is choosing who (if anyone) will help you manage it. The choice isn’t always an easy one. How will you know that your planner is reputable and trustworthy?
These five red flags may be good indications of whether the financial planner sitting across from you is someone you should trust with your money. LearnVest Planning also provides an innovative 7-step program for your money where you work one-on-one with a financial planner. To see if this program is right for you, start with a free financial consultation.
1. She Isn’t Certified
“There are a lot of good planners out there who aren’t Certified Financial Panners™,” says Samantha Vient, CFP®, of LearnVest Planning Services. “However, CFPs® are required to adhere to the CFP® Board’s standards of professional conduct.
We believe it’s always a good idea to work with someone who has the CFP® designation, which is issued after completing a CFP® Board-approved personal financial planning curriculum, passing a rigorous exam issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, meeting experience requirements and passing an ethics and background check.
2. He Offers to Manage Your Money for “Free”
Financial planners are usually paid in one of two ways: Either through fee-only, which can be a set fee, hourly, retainer or a percentage of the assets they manage for you, or through commission, which means the planner is paid each time he buys or sells an investment.
Fee-only payment structures can be more desirable to some clients, as there’s no financial incentive based on assets under management for a planner to buy or sell, whereas working on commission encourages planners to make trades, rather than solely look out for your best interest—called a “fiduciary” duty. (You want to be sure that the planner you choose is a fiduciary.)
LearnVest Planning Services provides the services of fee-only Certified Financial Planners™. Get started for free with a 15-minute financial consultation.
3. She Says She Outperforms the Market
“If a financial planner tells you that she can outperform the market, that’s a major red flag,” Vient explains. “In fact, due to government regulations, it’s illegal to advertise statements that promise a specific return.”
Outperforming the market—that is, getting better investment returns than the market average—is extremely difficult to do consistently, and requires taking a lot of risks with your investments. It’s rare to find a financial planner who can consistently outperform the market—and results are never guaranteed. Either way, in the pursuit of these high returns, she’ll be exposing your investments to much higher risk than you may be comfortable with.
Instead, look for a CFP® who, when looking at your portfolio, can advise on proper asset allocation based on your risk tolerance and time horizon, as well as through economic ups and downs.
4. She Doesn’t Ask About Your Financial Goals
“Your planner isn’t just there to crunch the numbers,” Vient advises. “She’s helping you make a plan for your money and your life. You should be looking for someone who has similar values to you.”
Ideally, you’ll likely want to work with someone who is in a similar life stage. Are you a parent? A planner with children may be better able to understand your need to save for college. Does your CFP® have a specialty? Some planners have an area of expertise, like insurance, estate planning, divorce or retirement—a fact you might want to consider if that’s a particular need of yours.
When meeting a potential planner, remember that you’re allowed to ask questions about their experience and priorities: “Do you think it’s more important to save for retirement or pay off debt? How do you feel about supporting kids through college? How do you mitigate investment risk as your clients get older?”
The choices you make with your money are intensely personal. The person who helps you make these choices should be able to understand and accept your financial priorities, and help you use your money to meet them.
5. His Management Style Makes You Uncomfortable
Financial planners can manage your money for you or manage your money with you. As different people have different needs when it comes to money management, there is no right way to work with a planner—it’s up to you to decide how hands-on you want him to be.
When you sign on with a financial planner, there will be a written agreement of how the two of you will manage your money. Read this carefully, and ask questions if you’re unsure about anything. Are you signing your accounts over to this planner? Will he check in with you before making a trade, or when rebalancing your accounts? If you’re uncomfortable with anything in the agreement, bring it up immediately.
Learn more about LearnVest Planning and our financial planners by visiting learnvest.com. To book your free consultation today, email FA_Support@learnvest.com or complete your request online.
LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser. The opinions expressed in this article are that of LearnVest Planning Services, a registered investment adviser. The advice provided may not be suitable for your individual situation and you should discuss your situation with a financial professional.
This is a guest post written by SoFi’s CEO, Mike Cagney.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Recently, there’s been a lot of talk amongst leaders in Washington about how to improve the painful process of repaying student loans. At SoFi, we feel your pain and work hard to offer more flexible, more affordable options for our borrowers. One idea that’s getting a lot of attention is increasing the options for refinancing debt after graduation. The only lender currently focused on refinancing private and federal student loans is SoFi.
We recognized early on that borrowers who have made timely payments on their loans, graduated from school, and have a job should be able to refinance their student loans at a lower interest rate. This may be why, after resuming lending by invitation, the media became increasingly interested in what we are doing.
In a recent article posted on MainStreet.com SoFi General Counsel Rob Lavet had this to say about SoFi’s ReFi products:
“We can offer a better deal than the federal government in terms of rates […].We offer borrowers who meet our underwriting criteria a package that pays off their federal and existing private student loans at a rate as low as 5.49%. Some lenders will do a consolidation on private loans, but we’re the first lender to offer to refinance a federal loan at a lower rate.”
Journalists from the USA TODAY, The Chronicle for Higher Education, the American Banker among others, also found themselves reporting on how SoFi is “using social communities and offering refinancing of student loans.“ It is this social community aspect that makes refinancing with SoFi so valuable. By connecting borrowers with a community literally invested in their success, the benefits of a SoFi loan go beyond saving money.
How many student lenders do you know that will help unemployed borrowers find a new job? SoFi does just that – engaging with borrowers who are actively looking for new employment opportunities and leveraging the networks of all members eager to help these individuals achieve new heights in their career.
Our Entrepreneur Program is another example of SoFi’s community in action connecting like-minded borrowers and investors in support of new business creation. We combine mentoring sessions for participants with exclusive access to the venture capital community.
SoFi wants to help borrowers realize their goals beyond paying off student debt. Whether seeking employment opportunities, career advice, partners for entrepreneurial ventures, access to industry luminaries, or simply a like-minded network, our members benefit from a supportive community of people vested in one another’s success.
Learn more about SoFi’s refinancing programs and community benefits at www.SoFi.com
"I was 40% down from 2009 through 2011, so 19% up still leaves me net backwards" – Boo fking hoo!
Matt, can we please get a couple of charts and graphs for this guys comp. I'm a little confused and can't tackle such large numbers so early in the morn.
thanks,
UBS MD
GS =========
UBS =
GS: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
UBS: -$$
Anymore info splits within different divisions of the company? Analyst/associate on IBD? S&T bonus? Institutional research? What's the comp structure also btwn cash and stock, deferred payments etc?
Tell me, what is this bonus of which you speak?
GS ==========
= UBS
(Fixed it for you)
If you have to ask…
Yes. How ridicuous is it that when this person took the risk of secretly texting this information to DB while at work they didn't go into the granular details you're asking for, pertaining to job titles he doesn't have.
Great reasonable question.
“Federation total comp…
I thought GS was part of the Galactic Empire.
Damn it, I totally took the wrong offer.
More like Romulans.
GS equals UBS?
That's good news!
just fyi – federation = non-revenue generating divisions…
Something that you will never experience.
Kinda like the big O – For some people, it's more of a myth than truth.
GS back office > Jefferies M&A MD > imaginary girlfriend > UBS
GS: 8====D
UBS: (_)*(_)
Pretty sure everyone knows what it means but thanks for that.
You would be wrong. Thanks though.
Druish
The Trade Federation was acquired in distress after the Nabooan Affair, as a bolt-on to J. Aron.
Thanks – I like my sarcasm polite.
Tough but fair
Call the close on guest. Minus 57 ?
with a dash of jizz on top
You can't afford not to ask these days.
In Japan, women come second. If at all.
any ranges for 1st and 2nd year VPs
Eh, more accurately: GS: 8==D
- Wall Street madam
Yes.
Stainless steel Vikings for everyone!
If GS>UBS, the what about MSSB?
Bess has the hots for Blankfein
8========================================B
Before 2008
Getting zero increase and getting canned at GS is still far better for your resume than working at Morgan Stanley
(see what I did there ? because you were all expecting "UBS")
At UBS there's an e in bonus… bone us. Get it?
- UBS DP
Seriously, any range here?
Onainist asoyi out'enioud korkas asıjasd beatfull -)
we always do a great job with our layoffs.
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