The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book On Value part 30. The purpose of this book is to supply, in a form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy. Comparatively little will be said here about the technique of analyzing securities; attention will be paid chiefly to investment principles and investors’ attitudes. We shall, however, provide a number of condensed comparisons of specific securities - chiefly in pairs appearing side by side in the New York Stock Exchange list in order to bring home in concrete fashion the important elements involved in specific choices of common stocks | 276 Commentary on Chapter 10 GETTING TO KNOW YOU A leading financial-planning newsletter recently canvassed dozens of advisers to get their thoughts on how you should go about interviewing In screening an adviser your goals should be to determine whether he or she cares about helping clients or just goes through the motions establish whether he or she understands the fundamental principles of investing as they are outlined in this book assess whether he or she is sufficiently educated trained and experienced to help you. Here are some of the questions that prominent financial planners recommended any prospective client should ask Why are you in this business What is the mission statement of your firm Besides your alarm clock what makes you get up in the morning What is your investing philosophy Do you use stocks or mutual funds Do you use technical analysis Do you use market timing A yes to either of the last two questions is a no signal to you. Do you focus solely on asset management or do you also advise on taxes estate and retirement planning budgeting and debt management and insurance How do your education experience and credentials qualify you to give those kinds of financial advice 5 What needs do your clients typically have in common How can you help me achieve my goals How will you track and report my progress Do you provide a checklist that I can use to monitor the implementation of any financial plan we develop 4 Robert Veres editor and publisher of the Inside Information newsletter generously shared these responses for this book. Other checklists of questions can be found at and . 5 Credentials like the CFA CFP or CPA tell you that the adviser has taken and passed a rigorous course of study. Most of the other alphabet soup of credentials brandished by financial planners including the CFM or the CMFC signify very little. More important by contacting the organization that awards the credential you can verify his record
