The term financial planner is appearing with increasing frequency in advertisements (including unsolicited mail and social media) and news articles. The alphabet soup of financial planning credentials may lead you to believe that someone is a financial planner when in fact he or she is not. Some people who call themselves financial planners are nothing more than salespeople for stocks, tax shelters, insurance, and other investments and have no special training in financial planning. It is important to do your research before hiring someone to advise you financially, or to allocate or invest your financial assets.