Financial Planners in Atlanta, GA

You can learn a lot just hanging around and reading the wiki at [r/personalfinance](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/) and [r/investing](https://www.reddit.com/r/investing) .

+1 for /r/personalfinance. They can help you pick an advisor, or just help you understand your financial options.

I am young professional who works in the financial industry. My first question to you would be why do you need a financial adviser? Beyond just ignorance, is there a specific reason? Most people do not have financial advisers and most financial advisers are generally not worth it unless you have serious capital or unique situations (inheriting a bunch of money, large estate, significant tax concerns, etc) Managing your own money is very easy and very simple. It may require a little bit of research, but over the long run it will save you a ton of money. Generally speaking, guys like Primerica, Merrill Lynch, Northwestern Mutual, and Edward Jones tend to put you in high fee funds, front loaded funds, and try to sell you term and whole life insurance....things that I am willing to bet you absolutely dont need while others are just absolutely terrible products. The simple reality is almost every major economic paper put out on investing states that people are best served investing in low cost index funds. This is the whole mantra of Vanguard and why Vanguard is one of, if not, the biggest in terms of asset under management. Check them out, then do some googling on "lazy 3" portfolios. Boggleheads has a good read on it. Remember, while gains and dividends compound, so do fees!! Avoid fees. Happy to answer any follow up questions. If you really need a financial advisor, there is one in my MBA program at UGA I could put you in touch with. Keep in mind some have minimum requirements for assets under management before they sign you up, depending on your profession.

I'd stay away from insurance companies, you're likely to end up in an expensive product that doesn't really match your needs and where you are in life. I'd try a firm like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, or TD Ameritrade. They'd be happy to meet with you to put together a savings plan, go over the basics of investing, etc.

Any outside source is going to charge you a fee or percentage to give you advice you can find on your own, and sometimes performance is not enough to offset. I know the allure of the 'credentialed class' is strong, but a lot of it is just people who took certain exams to pass certain certifications. Your best asset is yourself and your most valuable commodity is your time. Invest in yourself to the point you do not have to work for anyone else but yourself. Do your research, set your financial goals, and research how others achieved that same goal. Find something in common with their approach, and develop your own. Good luck, and be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true.

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Just steer away from product based financial advisers. I would look into XXI Century Financial, or Ashworth Advisers, they are much more comprehensive and guidance based. You will see a big difference.