The foundation for a good relationship with a financial planner starts at the beginning, by understanding what the expectations are, says Mark Singer CFP^®.

Before anyone chooses a financial planner, they should schedule an interview in order to determine that he or she is a good fit. The following questions can help you guide an interview with a prospective financial planner and determine if they are right for you:

• Who are your clients? The planner should have worked with people in your situation in the past.
• What is your area of expertise? It's important to partner with someone who can help you address your particular concerns, whether it's retirement planning, college funding or insurance.
• What is your background/experience? Align yourself with someone who has been in the business at least 10 to 15 years is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
• How are you compensated? Make sure you understand the difference between different compensation models (which included fee only, commissions only, or a hybrid of fees and commissions). Then, choose an advisor with a compensation model that makes the most sense for you.
• Who employs you? If the advisor is independent, rather than an employee of a large firm, you'll probably have access to a wider selection of investment choices.
• Who controls/has access to the money? Find out how money gets moved, by whom and to whom the checks are written. Cases of advisors running away with clients' funds are rare, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
• What kind of ongoing service do you provide? Not all advisors put an emphasis on client service—many just pay lip service. If it is important to you, ask what kind of service you can expect.
• What is your mission statement? You want an advisor who can clearly communicate what his business does and who it serves.

When choosing a financial planner, do all you can to learn as much about them as you can in order to get the best fit for your needs. The more you participate in the process, the greater the likelihood that you will achieve the financial security you so richly deserve.

Mark Singer is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and the author of The Changing Landscape of Retirement—What You Don't Know Could Hurt You. He has been The Retirement Guide to thousands of investors for close to 25 years and is the creator of the Retirement Roadmap and the Financial Organizer System, both of which contribute to a solution to investors' greatest concerns—properly coordinating their financial affairs.