Understanding Advisor's Designations

Finding a financial professional can be a daunting task. There are literally thousands of people who work with portfolios and retirement accounts in the United States, and choosing the right one for you can seem impossible. How do you choose a needle from a seemingly endless stack of needles? Financial professionals understand this problem, and do everything that they can to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Financial advisors have different educational backgrounds, experiences, and work with different companies - all of which leave you with a host of variables with little solid ground to judge them by.
This is why special designations were created. They level the playing field, allowing investors to see which advisors have gone that extra step to make themselves the most qualified professionals. Designations are often earned through required coursework and examinations that test an advisor's knowledge in various specialized areas. Some designations are designed specifically for advisors who work with retirees, while other designations show specialization in insurance or business. No two designations are exactly alike, and some are more reknowned than others.
We at WiserAdvisor have taken it upon ourselves to de-mystify some of the most commonly used designations, and hopefully answer the basic questions that you might have about what the designation means. We have also provided you with some helpful links to direct you to the organizations that confer each of them. Use the menus to jump to the particular designation, license or organization that you are interested in.
WiserAdvisor strives to bring you an extensive listing of pre-screened financial professionals on the internet. If you are interested in speaking with one of our professionals, please give us some brief information on our matching page.