Paying for Advice

People who have no problem paying for the services of an accountant or lawyer often balk at the prospect of cutting a check to pay for investment advice. Instead, they rely on "free" help from retirement advisers they meet at banks, brokerage firms and retirement seminars.

But there is no free lunch. You might not be paying an hourly fee for financial advice, but you still are compensating the adviser. The fees are built into the investment, so people don't realize how much they are paying and how these fees drag down investment returns.

This doesn't mean that commission-based advisers are incompetent or unethical, but they do have a conflict of interest, and their inventory could be limited largely to products managed by their firm.

Fee-only advisers, by contrast, don't earn commissions, are more likely to suggest low-cost investments from a larger variety of providers and will generally take a more holistic look at your finances.

Source:  Ellen Schultz, Wall Street Journal

The information contained in this article does not constitute a recommendation, solicitation, or offer by D2 Capital Management, LLC or its affiliates to buy or sell any securities, futures, options or other financial instruments or provide any investment advice or service. D2, its clients, and its employees may or may not own any of the securities (or their derivatives) mentioned in this article.

The Jacksonville Business Journal has ranked D2 Capital Management in 

the top 25 of Certified Financial Planners in Jacksonville

D2 Capital Management is a Member of the Southside Businessmen's Club and the Beaches Business Association