Whether driven by a life event, such as marriage or retirement, or simply by the realization that successful investing isn't as easy as it once seemed, people of both modest and princely means are seeking out experts to help meet their financial goals. The good news is that more advice is available to more investors than ever before. That's the bad news, too. Sorting out the choices is daunting.

Shocking but true: Just about anyone can hang out a shingle and call himself or herself a financial planner. Professional designations indicate a measure of training and experience. But how do you distinguish between them? And how do you know what to pay when compensation schemes are all over the map? "Many investors turn over money to the wrong people," says Jack Waymire, author of Who's Watching Your Money? (John Wiley & Sons, $24.95). "You can't just go to the Yellow Pages and look up quality adviser." Maybe not. But we'll guide you through the maze and, in the end, give you an idea of how to spot the real thing: a quality adviser.

The generalists

Your first order of business is to decide what level of service you want. If you seek a basic road map for your family's fiscal journey, then you'll want a financial planner. These generalists should be able to tackle almost any money question you have, whether it's household budgeting, investing for college and retirement, long-term-care and disability insurance, or tax strategies. A certified financial planner (CFP) has completed a course of study and passed an exam on the financial-planning basics, has at least three years of experience and must adhere to a code of ethics. Credentials that reflect similar training are chartered financial consultant (ChFC), in the insurance industry, and personal financial specialist (PFS), in accounting.

Or you may prefer someone to help you solely with investments. Such market mavens -- whether they're financial planners, stockbrokers, bankers or money managers -- may just steer you toward investments, or they may manage your portfolio themselves or farm out your assets to managers whom they supervise. An investment-savvy designation to look for is chartered financial analyst (CFA), for a person who is trained in economics, financial accounting and portfolio management.

With more than 650,000 financial advisers in the U.S., finding an adviser is far less of a problem than finding a first-rate one. Friends and family are good sources of recommendations, especially if their monetary circumstances are similar to yours. Other professionals familiar with your finances -- accountants, lawyers, insurance agents -- may know an adviser suited to your situation.

The Internet can also be a good starting point. A few online registries will winnow the field for you. Advisers in a registry administered by Paladin Investor Resources, founded by author Waymire, must meet exacting standards. Of 14,000 advisers who have been screened since June 2004, only 820 have been admitted to the registry. All 820 have fees as their primary method of compensation and average more than 16 years of experience; 74% have multiple certifications. All registry services, at www.paladininvestors.com, are free to investors.

There are two professional associations. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (www.napfa.org) is a registry of fee-for-service financial planners. The Financial Planning Association (www.fpanet.org) is the largest planning association, with 29,000 members. The Garrett Planning Network (www.garrettplanningnetwork.com) is a nationwide network of advisers for the budget-minded.

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