Gone are the days when people were content to invest in safe bank deposits and treasury bonds. With increased interest in investing in stock exchange shares, ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), mutual funds and other types of financial investment instruments, an average investor is faced with a host of choices. Investment decisions can be confusing for an unseasoned investor. An investment advisor can help an individual to make informed investment decisions. By properly following the recommendations of the advisor an individual can secure optimal returns and capital appreciation over his or her savings.
Investment advisers are firms or individuals who give investment advice on personal or institutional finances. The advice can be in the form of choosing the best stocks for an investor to go long or short on, implementing strategies on when to go long, short or hold, suggesting on how to diversify the existing portfolio etc. These advisers are also well equipped to give recommendations on foreign investments.
There are two types of investment advisers – registered and unregistered. US investment advisers require to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They can even be registered with regulatory authorities in local states. Investment advisers offer fee based services. This specific industry is strictly regulated and covered by provisions in US law.
Role of Investment Advisors
Investments in securities – Advisers must give an investment scheme to clients before trading in securities. A good advisor informs the client on the best available choices to assemble in a stock portfolio. suggestion to hold on to shares or to exit the stock can also be given depending on the prevailing market conditions. Consultancy services like this are given to retail investors, individuals and even entities such as the mutual fund houses.
Putting the best interest of the client first – US Investment advisers have a fiduciary accountability. This means that they are required to put the interests of their clients above their own interests and make absolute that the client gets the supreme investment suggestion. It also means that if instances of conflict of interest in the case of advisers are shown, then the client can take legal action against the individual or the firm.
Safeguard clients’ assets and maintain records – An investment advisor is also accountable for maintaining records of all the client transactions. In such cases, the client needs to acquire a consolidated statement every three months. This statement shows the status of the assets as well as what transactions have taken place regarding the securities of the client.
Diversifying the portfolio – Diversified investment advisers can confirm that an investor’s assets are expand across different sectors and in several types of investments such as stocks, bonds and choice investments. An investment advisor can also serve to vary and look beyond local investments and look at investing in foreign stock markets or mutual funds. This means that if there is a collapse in one sector or one class of investment, only a portion of the portfolio is affected.
