What to Look For in a Fed-Focused Financial Advisor

1.

ChFEBC℠: Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant

Specifically designed for financial advisors who specialize in working with Federal Employees. Serving Those Who Serve currently employs over 25% of the active ChFEBC℠ designees in the Greater Washington, DC area.

(source: ChFEBC℠ directory)

2.

Advisors who follow a Fiduciary Standard for advisory relationships throughout the financial planning engagement

This ideal goes beyond the long held, financial industry suitability standard and the new best interest standard as a result of ‘Regulation Best Interest’ passing recently.

3.

CFP®: Certified Financial Planner

This is the most widely recognized designation for financial advisors. About 23% of financial advisors hold the CFP® designation.

(source: CFP.net and DataUSA).

4.

AIF®: Accredited Investment Fiduciary

This designation is designed to assure that those responsible for managing or advising on investor assets have a fundamental understanding of the principles of fiduciary duty, the standards of conduct for acting as a fiduciary, and a process for carrying out fiduciary responsibility. Only about 3% of financial advisors hold the AIF designation. Transparency and disclosure of fees and investment strategy are hallmarks of the AIF code of ethics.

(source: Fi360 and DataUSA)