Finding good people/advisers - how do you do it?

[Platinum Pete]

My life is getting to the point of sophistication/complication/opportunity/whatever that I could use some good advisers to help guide me and provide services to me. Specifically, I need a good tax accountant/advisor, someone to help me with investing/growing my money, a good tailor, and probably some other help.
It isn't easy to find good help, and in these cases I want folks who I can have a relationship with rather than be just another invoice. My situations for the above are probably not all that extraordinary, but I want to have someone I can talk to who knows my situation and has a depth of knowledge (and maybe some tricks up their sleeve) to help me get the most out of my situation. I'm happy to pay extra for custom service that yields better results.

How do I find these advisers?
Yelp or other business search engines are fine for take out or a barber, but this stuff is a bit more serious. I'm only a year into living in San Francisco, so my network is not great, plus amongst my friends I'm the only one with these needs so referrals are hard to come by.

[Chugachjed]

Well you found this place. Everyone here is more than willing to give advice. and other than the tailor everyone you're looking for is here, hell there's probably a tailor here too. You know you've got dentists and lawyers covered here.

[Art Shirk]

This kinda stuff takes time. The absolute best way is referrals from people you trust. I have a good buddy that I did some legal work for during a down time for him. I then referred him to one of my best friends, a bankruptcy attorney, who helped him tremendously, and my referral referred him to a great money manager and CPA. Over the last two years, we all created relationships among ourselves and this fellow has a solid network of people working efficiently in his best interest. Once a year, my friend takes us all out to a huge dinner and open bar tab and we talk a little biz but mostly laugh and have a good time.

[Lonnie]

Sounds like you need a life coach. PM Parvo...

[skiballs]

Join a ski , golf or tennis club .

[XXX-er]

that 15 min ride on the chair, I am hoping for some good tax advise pretty quick while riding up with a local C.A. as oposed to actually making an appointment and paying him

[hutash]

Get married, she will control all of that for you.

I agree with common-law. Start talking withs friends or friends of friends. Start with a good financial advisor since that can help you with a lot of the other stuff. I've been working with the same guy for over twenty years. Does my taxes as well (hemis an EA) and is a go source for the local business specialists like lawyers, banking et cetera.

The original referral came from a client of mine who was also my wife's on/gyn. She is still with the same guy as well n

[Chainsaw_Willie]

What these guys said about referrals.

If I wasn't a penniless dirtbag who will be eligible to fill out a 1040EZ this year, I'd be talking to my clients, co-workers, and friends, asking them who they use and how they feel about that person.

One of my closest friends is a financial adviser so I'd probably use him for things like investment strategies, annuities, etc. and as a very successful businessman himself he knows all kinds of people in other areas such as mortgage brokers/real estate lenders, lawyers, and even a bunch of doctors.

[iceman]

When it comes to your money, don't let just one guy handle all of it. Bernie Madoff made a lot of people that trusted him and considered him a friend a lot of money. For a while.

You do have to trust people at some level, though, and the best route to getting to them is referrals. It doesn't necessarily have to be a good friend. Guy looks sharp at the office? Tell him. He'll be flattered and more than willing to bend your ear about his tailor, trust me.

Trust, but verify, as Reagan said.

edit: gramma

[Sirshredalot]

When it comes to managing money, you need somebody who is fee-only and doesn't get a commission off of selling you crap.

Otherwise you're far better off just parking your dough in a mixture of equity index fund, money market fund, and longer-duration muni fund based on your risk preferences, tax preferences, and desire for current income.

[Irishexit]

When it comes to managing money, you need somebody who is fee-only and doesn't get a commission off of selling you crap.

I'd second this, (although I am biased) you want a fee only advisor. I think with fee only you are more likely to have someone who will be a true fiduciary. Also you want all of your advisors to be working together and talking with each other, you want to create a team of people that are able to address all of your needs and look at things from different perspectives.

While I would look to friends for referrals I would also be cautious about using close friends as advisors. Not that that it cant work out well for both parties but I think you should at least go through the same process of vetting a potential advisor regardless of wether they are a friend or not.

[hutash]

I do not necessarily agree with the above. Nor do I disagree. If you find a good adviser he/she can do some of both. I have no problem with my financial guy making a commission of off what he sales, as long as I get a balanced approach. Fee only guys can rip you off just as easily. It comes down to finding someone you can work with and trust (and verify.)

Especially if you are just starting out. Most fee only guys are going to be too expensive unless you have a big portfolio to invest. You are better off getting into something that fits your needs and will grow, and if you can get started for cheap, great. You can always get a review by a fee only adviser in the future when you have built up a good chunk of change.

[Crud's Uncle]

I ran two broker/dealers. There are very, very, very few commission compensated advisors that are any good. They are not advisors, they are peddlers.

My recommendation is to do it yourself.

[Stu Gotz]

They don't call it the sell-side for nothin.