Vetting a potential financial advisor

From the Wall Street Journal comes Seven Questions to Ask When Picking a Financial Advisor

The first step is to realize that you're ultimately responsible for your family's money -- you're the chief executive of your own investment company. Your financial adviser, mutual-fund manager, wealth manager and anyone else who handles your investments should report directly to you. Even if you don't understand the ins and outs of investing as well as they do, you're responsible for ensuring that they handle your money properly.
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Once you recognize that you're in charge, you can approach your advisers like a boss -- not just a client. That means putting them through a tough vetting process to make sure they're competent, trustworthy and looking after your best interests.

1. What's in the advisor's background?
2. What do the advisor's clients say?
3. How does the advisor get paid?
4. Where are the advisor's checks and balances?
5. What's the advisor's track record?
6. Can the advisor put it in writing?
7. What do other pros think?

Read the whole piece for Shelly Banjo's discussion.