Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• FINANCIAL PLANNER
  
  A professional financial planner evaluates your personal financial situation and helps you develop a plan to meet both your immediate needs and your long-term goals. Fee-only planners charge you by the hour or sometimes charge a flat fee for a specific service. They don't sell products or get sales commissions. Other planners don't charge a fee but earn commissions on the products you buy. Still others charge fees and get commissions but may offset part of their fee with commissions on products you buy. Financial planning is not regulated, so while accountants, bankers, lawyers, brokers, insurance agents, and other professionals with special training and credentials act as planners, people without credentials may also work as planners. Professional organizations, such as the International Association of Financial Planning, the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, provide information on planners who meet their standards.
  
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