It's also a good idea to check out the person's professional designations. It's easy to verify whether a person really holds a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER[™ certification], which has rigorous education, testing and ethics requirements. Go to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards site [www.CFP.net/search] to verify that the person really holds the CFP[® certification] and find out if the CFP Board has taken any disciplinary action against that person.

Kiplinger
Kimberly Lankford
October 18, 2007