Choosing a financial advisor can be a confusing process, particularly given the different standards of care that financial professionals provide. Making matters worse is the wide range of job titles and designations people use to convey their expertise.
While a job title might have some relevance to a firm’s internal hierarchy, you can start with the assumption that all job titles are a form of marketing. Titles are unregulated and cannot be treated as verifiable proof of someone’s credibility or authority to serve your financial needs.
Professional designations provide a more standardized way for people to convey their expertise, but not all letter combinations require the same degree of knowledge and training.
It is rare to meet a financial professional without some combination of letters on his or her business card, but here are three most meaningful designations (listed alphabetically) for financial advisors offering comprehensive wealth management services.
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I originally published this at Forbes, January 29, 2019. All of my Forbes articles can be found here.