gonjah wrote:

I hear the term CPF kicked around a lot these days. I think if I had
millions to invest it might make since.

There are a lot of certifications, and one I've heard of is CFP,
Certified Financial Planner, which has certain college education
requirements and passing a test by the CFP trade group. There are
some other certifications that require no testing, just paying a
registration fee.

BTW: The first thing I did was call the bank and asked about IRA's. They
gave me a brochure and a name to call. I talked to a financial planner
who tried to sell me a load-fund. Sirens went off. To his credit: he
told me I could go to Vanguard and do it myself. Conversation over.

It's rare for a commissioned financial planner to do that because most
just spout lies about how their products are better than Vanguard's,
and a few will even "prove" that their products are cheaper.