Voting this down

The challenge is that financial planning alone compared to asset management does not pay very well. So the good asset managers become financial planners in order to offer that service as a value add. Strip away the asset management fee and it's not really worthwhile.

There are around 104,000 CFPs, 4,000 CPWAs, and 9,000 CIMAs. Those are the big three professional credentials in wealth management. I have all three and 30 years of experience in The Woodlands, so I'm probably desirable to some on paper at least. However, I take on new clients only through careful vetting and referrals. Consider also that many good revenue prospects simply bring no joy to work with, so there is the challenge of "fit." In my practice it makes no sense to procure new relationships under 10,000 in recurring revenue, and with few exceptions my clients exceed a multiple of that figure. I think most people face similar hurdles in hiring a financial professional (credentials/fit/scale). So the best advice I can give is to talk to family, friends, colleagues and try to work in by referral. Or if you're younger, find a younger advisor who offers planning and investment management and grow together. Their skills will grow with experience, as will your portfolio and ability to pay.

It's not unlike many professions where there are only so many hours in a day/week/month/year and to meet a business goal one simply cannot take anyone or everyone.