Choosing a financial planner

Make sure your planner has a diploma.

Financial planners hold university or college diplomas. To get professional certification, they have to pass a series of financial planning courses. To hold the title in Québec, they must have a diploma from the Institut québécois de planification financière. During your first meeting with a financial planner, make sure they hold such a diploma.

Find out how your planner is paid.

Financial planners are legally obligated to inform you about their methods of remuneration. They may receive commissions from the financial products they sell, professional fees or both.

A good planner should provide you with an overview of your financial situation and does not press you to buy a particular product.

Try to establish a relationship based on trust.

A good financial plan is based on a customized analysis. It provides clear solutions with many examples and demonstrations as well as a detailed, realistic and step-by-step action plan.

Planners should listen to you and let you make the decisions without imposing their points of view. They should inform you without bombarding you with useless information and if you have any if you have doubts, ask for clarification.