What's the best way to find a good financial consultant? I received a list of names and made a few calls. (Some) are expensive. How do you know which one will really do justice with your money?

– Jenny, Sacramento

What a great question. These nail-biting days, everyone's in need of a little financial reassurance. But picking a planner takes far more care than just flipping open the phone book.

"The biggest mistake people make is being very heavily influenced by the adviser's personality and sales skills," said Jack Waymire, the Lincoln-based author of "Who's Watching Your Money?"

Those traits, however, "have nothing to do with competence and ethics," Waymire said. "Learning the right questions to ask (when picking a planner) is critical."

Waymire is co-founder of the Paladin Registry (www.paladinregistry.com), a member-based company that's a good source of free information on how to pick a financial planner: what to look for, what questions to ask, what to avoid.

Not surprisingly, his company has been in big demand lately amid the relentless roiling on Wall Street. Web site traffic is up 30 percent since June and phone calls from frustrated, worried investors have jumped, especially in the last week.

He advises that you check into advisers' professional education and certification, see if they have a clean compliance and licensing record, examine their fee structure and get in writing all disclosures about potential conflicts.

If you want help with setting up a budget or getting started on saving for college or retirement, you'll probably want a certified financial planner. If you need specific help with taxes, a certified public accountant or tax attorney might suffice.

If you have questions about setting up a will or living trust, an estate planner or attorney could be your best bet.

Here are some tips:

• Get recommendations from family or friends.

• Look for someone with at least five years of experience. You don't want to trust your hard-earned assets to someone who just switched from selling furniture.

• Meet with at least three for a face-to-face interview.

• Be sure they can discuss your finances in terms you can understand. The best financial planners are good teachers.

• Ask how they're compensated. Fee-only advisers typically charge by the hour or a set rate, say $1,500 to write a basic financial plan. Or they charge as a percentage – typically 1 percent – of your investing assets. Fee-based means they charge a fee and can take some form of commission on financial products they sell.

• Ask about their experience. You want someone familiar with your financial place in life (working professional, young homeowner with kids, retiree, etc.)

• Find out their accessibility and ability to take your questions, whether by phone or in person.

• Ask about professional designations. Be sure their title is legitimate and appropriate to your financial needs.

And a note to seniors: Be wary of anyone using titles like "senior specialist" or "certified senior adviser" when selling you financial services. Under legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this year, it's illegal for financial advisers or insurance brokers to use speciality titles that aren't recognized by the state. The bill is aimed at online or classroom programs that hand out inflated titles based on cursory training.

"We're trying to make the financial marketplace a little bit safer for seniors … and be sure they're getting the right kind of financial advice," said Will Shuck, spokesman for Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, who authored the bills.

No matter whom you choose to handle your financial planning, it's smart to check their credentials.

Call the state Department of Corporations, (866) 275-2677, or the state Department of Insurance, (800) 927-4357.

"It's good to do your homework," said Department of Corporations spokesman Mark Leyes. "Check on their background; see if they've had any disciplinary action. "

Only a very small number of financial consultants in California are predatory, said Leyes, "but that's small comfort to someone who loses their life savings to a scoundrel."

Have a personal finance question? Contact the Bee's Claudia Buck at (916) 321-1968 or The Sacramento Bee; P.O. Box 15779; Sacramento, CA 95852.