Looking for a Financial Advisor?
Get connected to a network of financial advisors, financial planners, wealth advisors and other investment professionals with SmartVestor.
Ramsey Solutions is a paid, non-client promoter of SmartVestor Pros. Learn more.
What Exactly Is a Financial Advisor?
Simply put, a financial advisor is an umbrella term that describes financial professionals who can help you understand your investment options, including mutual funds, IRAs, 401(k)s, 529 college savings accounts and more.
A financial advisor can:
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You won’t need to keep up with investment research or the stock market in your spare time.
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You’ll have someone helping you make informed decisions about your investing goals and financial needs.
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Through market changes, they can be the voice of reason and help you stay focused on your goals.
What Needs Do You Have?
These are some of the ways a SmartVestor Pro can help:
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Get a whole-picture perspective of your financial goals and support for each step of the journey.
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Get clear on your options, ways to diversify your portfolio, and complex investing concepts.
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Learn how to use a Roth IRA, 401(k), traditional IRA or other accounts to your advantage.
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Have a large nest egg? Get help to invest and protect it––and leave a legacy for those you care about.
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Learn the ins and outs of college savings plans, like timing, eligible costs, investment options and taxes.
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Make a plan for your family’s future and the wishes you want carried out after you pass away.
Be sure to discuss your needs and goals with a SmartVestor Pro—and ask questions—before you hire one. The services that one pro offers can be different from another. You should also know that the SmartVestor program itself doesn’t provide investing services or monitor the services that pros provide.
What Is the SmartVestor Program?
How the Program Started
People were tuning into Ramsey shows and content and wanted to know where to turn for investing help. In response, financial expert Dave Ramsey and his team launched the SmartVestor program more than 20 years ago to match people with pros.
Who SmartVestor Pros Are
SmartVestor Pros have at least two years of full-time experience as registered investing professionals and work for investment advisor or broker-dealer firms. They aren’t employees of Ramsey Solutions, and their firms aren’t affiliated with us.
Find the Right SmartVestor Pro for You
Once you share your info on our request form, up to five pros will reach out to you pretty quickly. When you interview pros, it’s good to have a few questions ready to help you choose between them. To help you start the conversation, we’ve put together an interview guide. It includes questions like:
What’s your investment philosophy?
How will you measure and evaluate my investment performance?
What services do you provide?
How will we communicate about my investments?
Download your free copy now to check out the full list of questions.
What Does It Cost to Work With a Pro?
If you work with a pro, there will be some type of payment for serving you as there would be with any other investing professional. This payment arrangement is directly between you and the SmartVestor Pro. They’re happy to answer any questions.
There are typically three ways that SmartVestor Pros can charge for their services:
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This is when you pay a portion of the money you invest—typically up front.
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Charges can be an hourly fee, an asset-based fee, a flat fee or a retainer fee.
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Some charge a combination of commission and fees.
Need More Resources and Info?
Not ready to reach out to an investing pro yet? Here are some educational resources that can help you too.
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Calculate your investment growth over time.
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See how much you could save for retirement.
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Calculate your net worth to see where you stand.
Common Questions (and Answers)
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What is SmartVestor?
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What if I have more questions?
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How much does SmartVestor cost?
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How much does it cost to work with a SmartVestor Pro?
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What should I expect after I fill out the form?
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How do I choose my SmartVestor Pro?
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What can a SmartVestor Pro help me with?
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When should I start investing?
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What are the requirements to become a SmartVestor Pro?
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Are SmartVestor Pros financial advisors?
Ramsey Solutions is not affiliated with any SmartVestor Pros and neither Ramsey Solutions nor any of its representatives are authorized to provide investment advice on behalf of a SmartVestor Pro or to act for or bind a SmartVestor Pro. Each SmartVestor Pro has entered into an agreement with Ramsey Solutions under which the Pro pays Ramsey Solutions a combination of fees. The fees paid by the Pros to Ramsey Solutions are paid irrespective of whether you become a client of a Pro and are not passed along to you. However, the presence of these arrangements may affect a SmartVestor Pro’s willingness to negotiate below their standard investment advisory fees, and therefore may affect the overall fees paid by clients introduced by Ramsey Solutions through the SmartVestor program. Please ask your SmartVestor Pro for more information about their fees.
Neither Ramsey Solutions nor its affiliates are engaged in providing investment advice. Ramsey Solutions does not receive, control, access, or monitor client funds, accounts, or portfolios. Ramsey Solutions does not warrant any services of any SmartVestor Pro and makes no claim or promise of any result or success of retaining a SmartVestor Pro. Your use of the SmartVestor program, including the decision to retain the services of any SmartVestor Pro, is at your sole discretion and risk. Any services rendered by SmartVestor Pros you contact are solely that of the SmartVestor Pro. The contact links provided connect to third-party sites. Ramsey Solutions and its affiliates are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information contained on third-party websites.
SmartVestor™ is an advertising and referral service for investment professionals operated by The Lampo Group, LLC d/b/a Ramsey Solutions (“Ramsey Solutions”). When you provide your contact information through the SmartVestor site, Ramsey Solutions will introduce you to up to five (5) investment professionals (“Pros”) that cover your geographic area. Each Pro has entered into an agreement with Ramsey Solutions under which the Pro pays Ramsey Solutions a combination of fees, including a flat monthly membership fee and a flat monthly territory fee to advertise the Pro’s services through SmartVestor and to receive client referrals from interested consumers who are located in the Pro’s geographic area. Each Pro may also, if applicable, pay Ramsey Solutions a one-time training fee.
The fees paid by the Pros to Ramsey Solutions are paid irrespective of whether you become a client of a Pro and are not passed along to you. However, you should understand that all of the Pros that are available through SmartVestor pay Ramsey Solutions fees to participate in the program. Further, the amount of compensation each Pro pays to Ramsey Solutions will vary based on certain factors, including whether the Pros choose to advertise in local or national markets. Ramsey Solutions has a financial incentive to present certain Pros that offer their services on a national basis (“National Pros”) more often than other National Pros that pay lower fees.
It is up to you to interview each Pro and decide whether you want to hire them. If you decide to hire a Pro, you will enter into an agreement directly with that Pro to provide you with investment services. Ramsey Solutions is not affiliated with the Pros and neither Ramsey Solutions nor any of its representatives are authorized to provide investment advice on behalf of a Pro or to act for or bind a Pro. Ramsey Solutions introduces you to Pros that cover your geographic area based on your zip code. Neither Ramsey Solutions nor its affiliates provide investment advice or recommendations as to the selection or retention of any Pro, nor does Ramsey Solutions evaluate whether any particular Pro is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial situation, investment needs or other individual circumstances.
No investment advisory agreement with a Pro will become effective until accepted by that Pro. Ramsey Solutions does not warrant any services of any SmartVestor Pro and makes no claim or promise of any result or success by retaining a Pro. Your use of SmartVestor, including the decision to retain the services of a Pro, is at your sole discretion and risk. Any services rendered by a Pro are solely that of the Pro. The contact links provided connect to third-party websites. Ramsey Solutions and its affiliates are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information contained on third-party websites. Each Pro has signed a Code of Conduct under which they have agreed to certain general investment principles, such as eliminating debt and investing for the longer-term, and, if applicable, have completed Ramsey Pro Training. However, Ramsey Solutions does not monitor or control the investment services the Pros provide.
SmartVestor™ is an advertising and referral service for investment professionals operated by The Lampo Group, LLC d/b/a Ramsey Solutions (“Ramsey Solutions”). When you provide your contact information through the SmartVestor site, Ramsey Solutions will introduce you to up to five (5) investment professionals (“Pros”) that cover your geographic area. Each Pro has entered into an agreement with Ramsey Solutions under which the Pro pays Ramsey Solutions a combination of fees, including a flat monthly membership fee and a flat monthly territory fee to advertise the Pro’s services through SmartVestor and to receive client referrals from interested consumers who are located in the Pro’s geographic area. Each Pro may also, if applicable, pay Ramsey Solutions a one-time training fee.
The fees paid by the Pros to Ramsey Solutions are paid irrespective of whether you become a client of a Pro and are not passed along to you. However, you should understand that all of the Pros that are available through SmartVestor pay Ramsey Solutions fees to participate in the program. Further, the amount of compensation each Pro pays to Ramsey Solutions will vary based on certain factors, including whether the Pros choose to advertise in local or national markets. Ramsey Solutions has a financial incentive to present certain Pros that offer their services on a national basis (“National Pros”) more often than other National Pros that pay lower fees.
It is up to you to interview each Pro and decide whether you want to hire them. If you decide to hire a Pro, you will enter into an agreement directly with that Pro to provide you with investment services. Ramsey Solutions is not affiliated with the Pros and neither Ramsey Solutions nor any of its representatives are authorized to provide investment advice on behalf of a Pro or to act for or bind a Pro. Ramsey Solutions introduces you to Pros that cover your geographic area based on your zip code. Neither Ramsey Solutions nor its affiliates provide investment advice or recommendations as to the selection or retention of any Pro, nor does Ramsey Solutions evaluate whether any particular Pro is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial situation, investment needs or other individual circumstances.
No investment advisory agreement with a Pro will become effective until accepted by that Pro. Ramsey Solutions does not warrant any services of any SmartVestor Pro and makes no claim or promise of any result or success by retaining a Pro. Your use of SmartVestor, including the decision to retain the services of a Pro, is at your sole discretion and risk. Any services rendered by a Pro are solely that of the Pro. The contact links provided connect to third-party websites. Ramsey Solutions and its affiliates are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information contained on third-party websites. Each Pro has signed a Code of Conduct under which they have agreed to certain general investment principles, such as eliminating debt and investing for the longer-term, and, if applicable, have completed Ramsey Pro Training. However, Ramsey Solutions does not monitor or control the investment services the Pros provide.