As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm planning to set myself up as an investment advisor. I'm not participating in this forum to solicit business, but it is useful for me to learn about people's needs for advice and experience with other "financial professionals."
The big dilemma that a person faces in deciding how to manage their assets is this:
1. They can deal with a "professional," but even if the "professional" is legitimate (and most are), there is the liklihood that a significant portion of their investment returns will be "milked away" in commissions and management fees. And companies (probably including Vanguard) that offer relatively inexpensive advice, probably have it being provided by somebody in a distant office who is fresh out of college.
2. People can become educated about investing by reading books, attending classes, etc. The problem with that is that it requires time and effort, and some of the published information is contradictory, so which advice does a person believe?
3. People can just "wing it," relying on their own instincts -- which is what most people seem to do. From what I have seen, however, most people who do this inadvertently end up paying a lot more in management fees and taxes than they need to. They might realize that they are paying a few percent here and a few percent there, but don't realize the long-term cumulative effect of that, in terms of drastically reducing their potential gains.
My concept of providing investment advice is to (a) look at the person's assets and then (b) quote them a fixed fee for discussing their preferences, and then providing specific written recommendations as to how to change their investments to achieve their preferences, with minimal future costs. This generally would involve the type of investments that I have mentioned favorably in various posts, such as Vanguard and TIAA-CREF mutual funds and U.S. Treasury securities, which they would purchase directly or through a broker of their choice.
If you are looking for an investment advisor, see if you can't find one who will offer that sort of an arrangement.
By law, whomever you hire must provide a written statement describing their services and fees. You should certainly obtain that from them before committing to anything.