Who is the best type of advisor for help with my personal finance management?

If you were in the UK I would suggest that you speak to one of the large national IFA (Independent Financial Adviser) firms as they will have a range of practitioners to suit varying budgets such as AWD Chase de Vere or Towry As I work in the UK Financial Services sector I’m not all that up on the USA’s personal wealth management industry structure but I’m sure there would be some equivalent.

Find a fee-only financial planner who will charge you by the hour. They will look at your finances, give you suggestions, which you do yourself. That way they have no financial interest in selling you anything. They usually charge about $200 an hour or so. In NYC it’ll probably be higher.

How do you find one? The best way is to get referrals, or to look at reputable websites
Good information here
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/gettingpersonal/2010/06/finding_an_advisor.html#more

CFP = Certified Financial Planner.

@Rarebear is correct fee-only is the way to go. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) has members who are fee-only financial professionals. You can do a search for those in your area. Many of them have websites with you can view to see what services they offer and for how much. Being a member of this organization means they must comply with a code of ethics and a certain standard. I would still suggest you verify their credentials i.e. Certified Financial Planner or Accredited Financial Counselor.

Tune into Dave Ramsey’s show financial peace online. He has books and courses on CD regarding financial planning. I give a high recomendation. here

They’re called financial planners. You can find one as easily as you can find a bank.

@all what is the regulation like in the states for financial planners? Here in the UK we have to give clients full choice on how they wish to pay, fee, commission or a mixture of both.

@RareDenver There is no regulation on that (at least not that I know of). They can be fee only, commission only or a mixture of both. The problem with commission based is they tend to sell you the products which have the best commission for them, not necessarily the best product for you. This is why fee-only was the recommended type of financial planner as they tend to work for the client not the companies which give commissions.

I guess commission is still a dirty word on the states!

It’s not the commission but the—buy then sell then buy then sell… activity that only generates commissions for the agent, but nothing for the client

If you have a checking account with a bank, you can ask for a portfolio management service from that bank. They have financial analyst who can handle all your financial concerns. Also, to fix your financial record, get help from local accountants in your area.