An attorney is a person who has passed the bar exam in their state and is licensed to practice law in that state. Attorneys tend to specialize in certain areas of discipline. This article discusses those that are proficient in the area of gift and estate planning. This would include areas such as income and estate tax planning, wealth transfer, and charitable planning. Below is a list of legal specialties as they relate to financial planning.  Following that is a discussion of what you should expect from a gift and estate planner.

An investment professional provides professional expertise to the management of investment assets held in retirement accounts, trusts, individual and joint accounts.

Investment Professionals include the following:

1. Fee-Only Investment Advisor (Registered Investment Advisor Representative)

2. Investment Consultant (Registered Representative with a Stock Brokerage Firm)

Before you choose any investment advisor, set an appointment and run down the following list of questions. Find a person whom you feel you can trust and who has a worldview similar to your own. This person will control your future funds so take the time now to find someone with whom you feel confident. It may be your money but it will be their decisions. So interview advisors until you find one that you feel confident you can trust. After all, you are the one who will have to live with the consequences of their decisions.

We hear it all the time, “I can barely pay my bills! How am I supposed to invest?”

Financial experts tell us that the secret to investments is time. Starting today is one of the best things you can do to insure a healthy investment portfolio when you are ready to use it.

Most young people don’t invest for their retirement, or other financial goals, for two reasons.

First, we think we cannot afford to save now. Secondly, we believe we will make up for it later. These misconceptions are usually very costly.

Let’s start with the second assumption first: