There are a lot of people who advertise themselves as financial experts. Their one commonality is that they run a business or work for a business and have a decisive profit motive. Since they have to justify a fairly pricey salary, their advice may or may not be in your best interests. It pays to know where to look for great advice when choosing a hedge fund manager or investment consultant.

The title is actually pretty broad. A financial expert who helps you to build a 401K or supplemental package for retirement might be titled a retirement planner or something similar, but this is simply a niche form of an investment consultant. People who work in this capacity generally have a broad knowledge of financial markets and types of investment packages. They might have insight into specific industries or companies to help make smart purchasing decisions.

The good news is that they almost universally have degrees and require licenses in order to operate. They might work solo, but many work for banks or large investment firms. They are like agents for these institutions but sell financial products instead of cars or real estate. The ones that work for large companies are much less likely to behave slyly but are bound by the advice and policies provided by the company. The seeker must decide if they better trust a large company or an independent.

This is where a review and recommendation site comes in handy. A dedicated web resource helps a cautious investor to find a trustworthy helper. This information comes in the form of editorials and customer reviews. Credible information helps to find better deals and the most customer-oriented consultants.

Honesty is an essential matter. Especially for people sinking their life savings into a financial product, integrity means their survival in retirement. A retiree cannot afford to take huge risks late in the game, so the package needs to be survivable even if some risk is involved. Big companies can be surprisingly unscrupulous, but trading robots are a poor place to park a 401K. Independent financial products could be the solution if they are trustworthy.

The best part of working with a credible investment consultant is that they can give you direction on many things that are happening in the market. They might have packages where they sell particular assets according to their own research, but they can also help design a product according to customer specifications. Most importantly, they can be paid for advice even if nothing is bought. Start by researching a flexible consultation.