Certifications

If you’re going to be handing over your cash to someone for investment help or financial help of any kind, you want to make sure they’ve gone past 6^th grade math and actually know enough to help you get your finances sorted.

One problem: there's a ton of business schools, economics programs, and job titles out there for money guys. How are you supposed to sort through that? The idea is that certification is supposed to show you who can be trusted and who’s shadier than a bookie in an ill-lit alley. But, uh, some shady types might come up with bogus certifications and titles to fool you. That’s why NASAA (North American Securities Administrators Association, no spaceships) has created a bunch of rules that decide who gets to claim which certifications. They can even help you sort out what certifications mean what.