Finding a financial adviser
Eazyretire does not recommend advisers, products or insurers. This guide helps you decide when advice is worth paying for, who is who, and how to check anyone before you share money or documents.
When advice is worth paying for
- A large lump sum at retirement, from EPF, gratuity, NPS or a property sale, that has to last for decades.
- An inheritance, a business sale or any other windfall.
- Business or professional income, where tax and cash flow are less predictable than a salary.
- You are, or are about to become, a non-resident Indian.
- Tax that has outgrown a salary: capital gains, rental income, several properties.
- Gaps in health or life cover that you are unsure how to close.
- A plan that shows a shortfall you cannot close with the levers you have.
For a straightforward salaried plan, your numbers here and the Learn articles may well be enough.
Who is who
Several kinds of people call themselves advisers. They are paid differently, and how someone is paid shapes what they recommend.
SEBI-registered Investment Adviser (RIA)
Registered with SEBI to give personalised investment advice for a fee, and required to act in your interest. An RIA may not sell you products and earn commission on them.
How they are paid: By you: a fixed fee, or a share of the money they advise on, within limits SEBI sets.
Mutual-fund distributor (ARN holder)
Registered with AMFI to sell mutual funds. A distributor can explain funds and help you invest, but is not registered to give personalised advice for a fee.
How they are paid: By the fund house, through commission built into the fund's expense ratio (regular plans).
Insurance agent
Licensed through IRDAI to sell the policies of one insurer, or of a few.
How they are paid: By the insurer, through commission, often highest on traditional savings policies.
Chartered accountant (CA)
A member of ICAI, and the right person for tax returns, capital gains and business accounts. Not every CA advises on investments.
How they are paid: By you: a fee for each piece of work.
Certified financial planner
A certification shows training, not regulation. Before paying for investment advice, check whether the person is also registered with SEBI.
How they are paid: Depends on how they are registered: a fee, commission, or both.
How to check anyone
Every regulated adviser, distributor and agent appears in a public register. It takes a minute to look.
- SEBI: registered Investment Advisers (search by name or INA number)
- AMFI: check a mutual-fund distributor's ARN
- IRDAI: agency portal, to check an agent's licence
- ICAI: member services, to trace a chartered accountant
Ask for the registration number in writing, and check that the name on the register matches the person and the firm you are dealing with.
Questions to ask before you agree
- How are you paid, and by whom?
- Do you earn anything from the products you recommend?
- Will I get your advice in writing, with the reasons for it?
- What is the total fee for the year, in rupees?
- If I am unhappy, who do I complain to?
Red flags
- Guaranteed or "assured" high returns, especially on market-linked products.
- Pressure to surrender a policy or switch funds without a written reason.
- Tips on WhatsApp, Telegram or social media from people who will not share a registration number.
- Urgency: "only today", "last few units", "limited slots".
- Requests for your passwords or one-time codes, or to trade from your account for you.
If something goes wrong
Complaints about SEBI-registered advisers and other market intermediaries go to SEBI's SCORES portal; the firm has 21 days to respond. Insurance complaints go to the insurer first, then to IRDAI's grievance system (Bima Bharosa) or the Insurance Ombudsman.
What to bring to the first meeting
A clear picture of where you stand saves time and fees.
- Your plan summary from Eazyretire: readiness, the corpus you need, the corpus you are heading for, and the assumptions behind them.
- Recent statements: EPF passbook, NPS, PPF, mutual funds, fixed deposits and loans.
- Your insurance policies: health, term, and any traditional savings plans.
- Your last income-tax return and Form 16.
- The questions you most want answered.
Eazyretire is not an investment adviser and does not recommend any adviser, product or insurer. No one is listed here and no one pays to appear. Information as of October 2026; the regulators' websites have the current rules.