Watch Tonight on FRONTLINE: The Retirement Gamble on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Here at ARS we are constantly educating people on how our firm is different from others they have worked with in the past.  This recent series called The Retirement Gamble by PBS has done a great job capturing some of the challenges the average investor faces.  Below is one of the highlights of the article and puts into perspective how ARS is different as a fiduciary from many others in the financial services industry. 

"Eighty five percent of all financial advisers and financial planners are really just brokers or salesman. Their incentive is to sell you a product that makes them a higher commission, not necessarily a product that maximizes your chances of saving more. Only 15 percent of advisers are “fiduciaries” — advisers who by law must operate with your best interests in mind."

Read the full article. 

Below is a video from a former broker who realized that he wasn't doing what was best for his clients and quit because of it. Watch the video to get a good idea of how advisors differ from a broker. 

Click to read full article. 

*Gather a short list of names:  Dan Kadlec suggested starting with references from those you trust.  Asking friends and family members who handles their money and hearing first hand their experience should give you a good start.  

*Interview each planner:  Your financial advisor should be focused on you as the clients and your needs instead of your money.  Another key to find out during the interview is how the advisor gets paid.  Are they receiving a fee on the money that they are managing, are they commissioned based on products sold, or is a combination of the two?  Dan stated that fee-only planners are generally a good choice.  

*Investigate top choices:  Potential clients can research investment adivisory firms through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Adviser Public Disclosure website.  Investment advisers Form ADV gives important information regarding the firm.  It lists the amount of money the firm manages/ how many clients it has, and lawsuits & arbitration against the firm among other things.    

Read the full article here.  

Read Greg Smith's resignation letter.  

"When evaluating people who are managing their money, investors need to be mindful of whether the managers are true fiduciaries, or commissioned to serve in the best interest of their clients, Hebner says. You need to understand the relationship you have with your money manager and insure your well-being is their responsibility. If not, you might want to look elsewhere, he says. 'Brokerage firms have clauses that exempt them from being a fiduciary. It's just incredible,' he says"

Are the people who are giving you investment advise or managing your money putting your interests ahead of their own? As a fiduciary, we are required to always put your interest ahead of our own. Read the full article

1) Apple is still one of the fastest growing technology companies who sales were up over 70% last year (Q4 sales of $46.3 bil up 73% from Q4 of 2010).  

2) The companies stock price hasn't kept up with its fast earnings growth and is still being called "cheap".  

3) The company trades at a lower earnings multiple than less proven companies with less predictable futures (Apple is 11.6, Netflix 42.2, LinkedIn 127.9). *based on S&P consensus estimated earnings for next fiscal year.

Read article here.