TLDR: Please help me choose a fee-only RIA among Shashi Singh, Brijesh Vappala and others [from this list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTWa0RV930HxHU3F-U9DkdP-RHrB7F9H0dePfP1FJCUZj_GjYnvkC6dvyfTlySNI6HitHAhPkxCDyDY/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true)
Hey fellow investors, I (26M) have been on the hunt for a fee-only SEBI registered investment advisor/financial planner for the past few weeks. As I started learning market for trading and investing, I realized that learning fundamental analysis, managing my finances, creating a solid portfolio plan, and executing it myself isn’t something I can do anytime soon. Instead, I’ve decided to invest in the expertise of a professional to save time and effort.
I made a list of fee-only RIAs from the FreeFincal website and had conversations with a few of them last week. To help me make an informed decision, I created a spreadsheet with various criteria, such as their initial and renewal fees, their approach to financial planning, how comfortable I felt talking to them, and my confidence in their services.
[You can check out the google sheet here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTWa0RV930HxHU3F-U9DkdP-RHrB7F9H0dePfP1FJCUZj_GjYnvkC6dvyfTlySNI6HitHAhPkxCDyDY/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true) . (I’ve also included RIAs who made it to my shortlist, but with whom I haven’t spoken yet)
The columns marked in red are no-gos, and the green ones are my top choices. The first list is sorted based on my interest in working with them. Shashi Singh and Brijesh Vappala seem to be the most promising options. Shashi is intriguing and VERY friendly, showing interest in teaching and preparing clients for DIY financial management. However, his fees are the highest at 25K for both first year and renewal.
Brijesh is another strong contender, and the fact that we’re from the same state and speaks the same language makes me feel more comfortable. His first-year fee is 15K, which is in line with most on the list, but he charges the same 15K for renewal, the second-highest in this list. But unlike others, Brijesh offers a review-only plan for just 5K with one month of support for those who don’t want to renew without significant changes to their financial plans.
Both Shashi and Brijesh give off a major vibe of not wanting to overcharge clients or push them into annual renewals just to stay relevant. Honestly, they are that confident in their work.
If both of their fees were the same, I’d choose Shashi without a doubt. But the difference in their fee is 10K, and this is my first time hiring a financial planner, so I literally have no clue about the true value of such services. So, I’m turning to Reddit for advice. Please help me finalize my choice, whether it’s between these two or if there’s a compelling reason to consider someone else from the list. Also, let me know if I should contact any of the RIAs in the second list, as I’m kind of done speaking to so many of these people.
Thanks a lot in advance!
View on r/IndianStreetBets by alifashf