Investment advice is a service offered by financial professionals who manage your money for a fee. Investment advisers may also offer financial planning and additional services such as insurance sales and retirement plan administration. A full financial plan that includes a thorough evaluation of your personal and family’s finances can help you identify the best investment strategies to achieve your goals.

The Investors Centre advisor may charge a flat fee for their services or be paid a percentage of the assets they manage (typically one percent). This is called a variable fee, and it creates some alignment between your investments and your adviser’s interest. In the case of a retirement plan, the fees you pay are usually deducted from your contributions to the plan and reflected on the final plan balance.

Investing can feel overwhelming, and finding a good investment professional can be a lot like dating: You have to put in time and effort to find someone you can trust with such an intimate part of your life. But following certain tried-and-true investing principles can make the process easier and improve your chances for long-term success.

In addition to ensuring that investment recommendations meet your needs, fiduciary standards require trusted investment advisers to act in your best interest at all times. They must disclose all relevant facts to you, provide a comprehensive fee structure, and carefully manage conflicts of interest. Investors should always research the history of a firm and its investment professionals before hiring them. Investors can also access a wealth of information online through investment blogs and brokerage websites that are free to use.