This is the second in our 2-part article on choosing a Financial Advisor. In the first part, we talked about the vital importance of making the right choice when it comes to your F.A. It’s as important as choosing your Doctor or Accountant as it is likely to be a relationship built on trust and one that should last a lifetime.

Initially, it is about connecting with the right Advisor, which we have covered, but it is not enough simply to like the person that will guide your financial decisions and wealth creation, they need to be suitably qualified and have a few more credentials to enable you to feel that they will be the right fit for you. These are a few of the criteria you should be looking for…

Superior knowledge

Just as Doctors and Chartered Accountants study for many years to attain certain qualifications, good F.As should be well qualified with finance degrees like CFAs and CFPs and aspire to be and work with specialists. They also need to remain constantly abreast of the latest products, the markets and other financial developments.

Teamwork and specialisation

Talking of specialisation, the Advisor you choose should not only be qualified as a financial advice specialist but needs to be willing to be a part of a financial advice team and work with specialists in other areas. For example, they need to be able to advise you on medical matters and policies as well as Estate Planning but because these are areas of specialisation they should also be willing to work with specialists in these areas.

A qualified Hereford Group Financial Advisor, for example, with just a few years of experience can be working with a team that has 60 years of combined experience!

Versatility

Just as a good wealth profile needs to be flexible and versatile, a good F.A. should be able to assist clients who have only R10,000 to invest just as willingly as those who have R10Mill to invest. In this age of working remotely, they should also be able to assist you nationally and internationally, in person and online and they should be willing to receive advice themselves from others to ensure that you will benefit from the best of what’s out there.

Accolades and awards

They might not have received awards like being Million Dollar Round Table members or Platinum highflyers, but it is pretty reassuring if they have as it means they work hard to reach the pinnacle of their success and will hopefully do the same for you.

What is essential is that they have received accolades and good testimonials from clients who have already benefited from their expertise and we suggest you ask for some good references in this regard.

A group with a great track record

It is all very well to assume that even with all these credentials the Financial Advisor you choose will be able to deliver what they promise, but if they belong to and have been trained by a group with a great track record, like Hereford Group, you can be assured of it.

Just a few things to consider regarding Hereford Group are: We have 80 000 clients and R30Bn in assets under management; it’s a proven fact that we have been consistently outperforming benchmark returns, and due to our large national and international footprint we service many thousands of clients internationally too.

Most importantly, Hereford Group is a tried and trusted entity that has continued to grow and build a loyal client base over the last 30 years and has developed some of the best Financial Advisory teams and specialists in the country.

Contact us to see if we can find the Financial Advisor who perfectly connects with you and has the right credentials to give you the peace of mind of knowing that your financial success is assured.