What you should know before hiring a financial adviser

Arizona Republic, AZ

Your retirement account is down 40 percent, your home value has plummeted and the economy has left you jittery about keeping your job.

Amid all the negative news, where do you turn for help?

How about a financial adviser?

At the most basic level, financial planners help people create budgets, buy life insurance, get legal documents such as a will or trust, and invest in college funds and retirement accounts. Advisers also can manage investment portfolios and charitable giving and provide estate and tax planning.

It's an investment in your financial future that might seem extravagant in tough times. But advisers can help those of us less sophisticated in financial matters - and those who don't have time to deal with the details - to avoid expensive pitfalls. And they can be a sounding board before you make a major financial decision. Read More...

You Are About to Make a Bad Investment

Motley Fool

Don't you invest in that just because you think it's a good idea. I'm warning you.

Across 10 asset classes, over a near-40-year time horizon, and in increments of three, five, and 10 years, there's one investment vehicle that made for a total loser -- a dud.

It's gold -- that so-called safe haven for your assets -- and if you're considering it today, let me explain why you need to bypass it and move on. Although gold may well be one of your favorite items in the vault, as a long-term investment, it is just plain lousy. Read More...