NEVER USE A COMMISSIONED FINANCIAL SALES PERSON AS A FINANCIAL ADVISOR

A commissioned investment salesperson should never be used as a financial advisor for two reasons:
1 BIAS- The sales person will always recommend as your investment solution the investment he or she sells, whether or not these are the investments you should be using.
2. LACK OF INVESTMENT KNOWLEDGE- Brokers and other licensed salespersons are required to know only two things; the securities laws and how to sell investments successfully. Too many strategies recommended by investment salespeople are either too risky or 20 years out of date.
And what about Chartered or Certified Financial planners? Be careful. Some "certified" financial planners have taken only a home study/formal course, and most have very little money or their own to manage. If you want to make money, you will learn the most from someone who has plenty of it.