A financial adviser or financial advisor is a professional who provides financial services to clients based on their financial situation. In many countries, financial advisors must complete specific training and be registered with a regulatory body in order to provide advice. In the United States, a financial adviser carries a Series 7 and Series 66 or Series 65 qualification examination. According to the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), qualification designations and compliance issues must be reported for public view. Details of formal compliance issues can be found on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website and details of non-formal issues can be found on Onesta. FINRA specifies the following groups who may use the term financial advisor: brokers, investment advisers, private bankers, accountants, lawyers, insurance agents and financial planners. Financial advisors need to be able to take the full picture of the client's financial situation into account. Role Financial advisers typically provide financial products and services, depending on the qualification examinations they hold and the training they have. Financial advisers are registered, not licensed. For example, a licensed insurance agent may be qualified to sell both life insurance and variable annuities, because the insurance agent holds an insurance license and holds the Series 7 qualification examination. A broker (Series 7) may also be a financial planner. Any advisor can say they are a financial planner; they do not have to hold the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation to do so. A financial adviser may create financial plans for clients or sell financial products, or a combination of both. They may also provide insight on savings. Compensation A financial adviser is generally compensated through fees, commissions, or a combination of both. For example, a financial adviser may be compensated in one or more of the following ways: An hourly fee for advisory services A flat fee, such as $3,500 per year, for an annual portfolio review or $5,000 for a financial plan. This is often referred to as "flat fee advisors" A commission on the securities bought or sold, such as $12 per trade A commission (sometimes called a "load") based on the amount invested in a mutual fund or variable annuity A "mark-up": when one buys "house" products (such as bonds that the broker holds in inventory), or a "mark-down" when they are sold A fee for assets under management (AUM), such as 1% annually of assets managed Advisor