Find the Best Financial Advisors in Green Bay, WI

Choosing a financial advisor in Green Bay

Any significant financial change, including a new house, new job, new baby or new monetary goal, warrants seeing a financial advisor to make sure you’re on solid ground. Financial advisors help clients plan, save and invest in making their financial goals a reality.

People don’t need to be wealthy to benefit from getting an outside opinion on their finances. While investment advisors may have a minimum asset requirement to accept a client for asset management, often $100,000, more general financial planners don’t have that sort of restriction.

Types of financial advisors

First off, financial advisors in Green Bay are either fiduciary or non-fiduciary. Fiduciary status means they are legally required to look out for your best interests.

A non-fiduciary advisor is still professionally bound to make sure your investments are well-suited for someone in your situation, but they are not required to find the absolute best path for you. This often leads to conflicts of interest in which non-fiduciary advisors recommend asset management options that are better for them, thanks to incentives and third-party deals, than what’s ideal for the client.

Beyond fiduciary status, there are many different types of financial advisors in Green Bay. Investment advisors, financial planners, retirement advisors and money advisors all differ in their services offered and qualifications.

Not all financial advisors in Green Bay are even human anymore. Robo-advisors are computer software based on algorithms that give you the best options based on a questionnaire you answer about your goals and risk tolerance. There are also hybrid advisors where most of your financial planning is through a robo-advisor, but you also have access to a human finance professional if you have questions.

What is the cost of a financial advisor in Green Bay?

Financial advisors in Green Bay make money in several ways, as shown in the table below:

Financial advisors in Green Bay may also receive a combination of flat fees and a commission. Advisors call this pay structures fee-based, rather than fee-only.

Ask your money advisor how they make a profit to verify they’re working in your best interest.

What qualifications should a financial advisor have?

Look for a Certified Financial Planner, Personal Finance Specialist or Chartered Financial Analyst in Green Bay. These certifications let you know the advisor is well-trained and legitimate. Ask potential financial advisors:

• Are you a fiduciary?
• What experience do you have?
• Have you ever been convicted of a crime or investigated by a regulatory body?
• How do you make a profit?
• Are you licensed and registered to offer investment advice?

Use tools from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission to verify your financial advisor’s history and qualifications.