Advisor Check

The fiduciary capacity is the charge to act in the best interest of the client no matter what. While many advisors may choose to anyway, not all designations require an obligation to act in a fiduciary capacity.

Be sure to ask your advisor whether they will be acting in a fiduciary capacity regarding your situation.

Make sure your advisor's firm is registered with FINRA or the SEC. You can easily search for your advisor and firm with FINRA's Broker Check.

Many less experienced advisors will pad their business card with designations that hold little value. The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance keeps a database of legitimate and meaningful designations. Check to see if the designations your advisor advertises can be found in the Nebraska Database.

Many more experienced advisors will take their expertise to the public eye by hosting a radio show, podcast, or some other type or regular publication. While this doesn't automatically qualify an advisor, it does put their thoughts and ideas on display for the public to see. This can be a good way to get to know an advisor before a first meeting. A quick Google search can help to find out whether such content exists.