I know that plenty of our readers are self-directed investors who love nothing more than to build—and run—their own portfolios. Digging into a fund’s prospectus and annual reports is something they look forward to. But if you’re like many people, you look to a wealth manager to oversee at least some of your investments for you, or at the very least help with things like tax optimization, financial planning and setting up an estate plan. There are, however, a few things we need to bear in mind when selecting one. For starters, while many wealth managers can help their clients set up a program that puts them on a path to financial independence, the reality is that wealth managers face intense competition, and that can provide a temptation among less-experienced ones to cut corners.… Read more