If you’re thinking about hiring a professional to help you manage your money, the following resources may be useful to you. Since there are quite a few financial planning services available to people at different income levels and life stages, it’s always a good idea to investigate your options before getting involved with a particular financial planner.

General Information About Financial Planning and Finding a Planner

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants- Personal Financial Planning Center
http://pfp.aicpa.org/Resources/Consumer+Content/
Information on CPA/PFS (Certified Public Accountant/Personal Financial Specialist) professionals, how to find one, as well as general information and resources for financial planning.

Basic Budget Worksheet
http://financialplan.about.com/cs/budgeting/l/blbudget.htm
This worksheet will help you break down your monthly costs. A good start to successful budgeting!

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
http://www.cfp.net/
Provides information and resources both to financial planning professionals and to consumers. Information on what financial planning is and how to find a financial planner is on this page. A list of "Top Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Planner" is here.

“Financial Advisors to the Rescue”
http://www.smartmoney.com/fp/index.cfm?story=feb03-totherescue
An overall guide covering the process of finding and selecting a financial planner, from SmartMoney magazine.

Financial Planning Association
http://www.fpanet.org
Find a CFP professional near you. Helpful questions to interview a financial planner provided.

Motley Fool
http://www.fool.com/insurancecenter/insurancecenter.htm
A great resource with articles on the basics of insurance, including what type of insurance one should avoid and how insurance can fit into one’s overall financial plan. The site also has helpful articles on auto insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance.

National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
http://www.napfa.org
Search for a comprehensive fee-only financial planner in your area.

News and Commentary
http://www.financial-planning.com/
Online home of Financial Planning magazine and offers news, commentary and community for financial planners and financial planning professionals.

Practical money skills
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/
Offers financial literacy lessons, resources, games and calculators.

Quicken Online
http://quicken.intuit.com/?PID=3160769&priorityCode=4216102399
Free software that easily and automatically tracks your spending and account balances -- so you know where to save and when to spend.

Consumer/Investor Protection

National Association of Securities Dealers- BrokerCheck
http://www.nasd.com/web/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=469
An online database of financial professionals and investment advisers, with information about their records, good and bad. (Requires that you agree to NASD's terms and conditions to use). Also contains other information related to investor protection.

North American Securities Administration Association- Contact Your Regulator
http://www.nasaa.org/QuickLinks/ContactYourRegulator.cfm
Contact information for NASAA regulators all over North America, as well as additional links to consumer protection resources and general financial planning information.

Securities and Exchange Commission- Check Out Brokers and Advisers
http://www.sec.gov/investor/brokers.htm
Advice and links for investigating the record of a financial adviser or planner.

Related Blogs

All Financial Matters
http://www.allthingsfinancialblog.com/
The blog site of a fee-only financial planner in Texas, "dedicated to discussing such topics as budgeting, asset allocation, 401K, IRA, cash flow, insurance, financial planning, portfolio management, and other areas in personal finance."