Q. I’m no money expert and, in line with your advice, would like to do better than take the safe or easy route by contributing to the L Fund that most closely matches my life expectancy. How do I go about finding a financial adviser who is familiar with the Thrift Savings Plan and government employees? What sort of questions should I be asking them, and can you ballpark the cost of such an adviser? A. Your adviser should be: 1. Free from conflict on interest 2. Competent in the kind of work that needs to be done 3. Concerned…
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Q. I am a 50-year-old federal employee looking for a fee-only financial planner to check my finances to see if I am on track to retire when I reach 65. I am not looking for someone to manage my finances — only to check my plan and maybe someone to check in with once ever couple of years. Is this expensive — where do I find someone who is very familiar with the FERS and federal retirement specifically in my area? A. That’s what I do. You may visit www.variplan.com for more information.
Q. Do financial planners have to be accredited? Do they have to be certified, registered by states and/or do they have to take courses like accountants do to keep up with the latest information? What about testing? How do I learn about a financial planner’s experience, etc. What is a financial services adviser — just what the title says, advises you about your finances? Is there a site that checks for any complaints and/or if a person really is accredited or does he/she have a degree? What is required to become a financial planner? A. Anyone can call themselves a…
Q. I would like to know if there are financial adviser services knowledgeable in federal retirements that can review a person’s current situation on a one-time basis and make recommendations. What would be a ballpark price range for this type of service and do you think this type of review is worth the effort? Basically, I have been doing most of my own financial planning and I am about 10 years from retirement and would just like an expert to do a one-time review. A. There are financial planners who specialize in federal retirement planning (I’m one), but finding them…