Investor Watchdog Launches New Online Services

Free tools deliver transparency and factual information to investors who use the services of financial advisors

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Jun 20, 2012, 07:40 ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Investor Watchdog (http://www.InvestorWatchdog.com) announced an array of free, online tools that help investors select new financial advisors, monitor current advisors, and replace under-performing advisors. This first-of-its-kind online resource was developed by Jack Waymire, author of the highly regarded book, Who's Watching Your Money? The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor (ISBN 0471476994).

Waymire said, "Institutional investors, such as pension plans, make advisor-related decisions based on third party due diligence and documentation. Individual investors make these same decisions based on undocumented sales claims. Watchdog levels the playing field by providing institutional services that have been modified for use by individual investors."

Watchdog tool-sets support each stage of the relationships between investors and advisors. For example, there is a tool set that investors can use to research any advisor at any U.S. financial services firm and a tool set for terminating advisors so investors minimize their risk exposure and expense.

Waymire added, "Watchdog's Advisor Scorecard tool is very popular with investors. It arrays the professionals' credentials, ethics, and business practices side-by-side so it is easy to identify their relative strengths and weaknesses. Scorecard also produces an advisor rating that is generated by inputs from investors. This tool makes it easy to select the professional with the best qualifications."

Once a financial advisor is selected, investors have access to a Watchdog tool that monitors 12 categories of advisor data on a quarterly basis: Performance, investment expense, risk exposure, compliance record, client attrition, regulatory actions, and lawsuits. This early detection service helps investors avoid surprises and make timely decisions that reduce risk.

Waymire described Investor Watchdog as "A game changer because it fundamentally alters the dynamics of the process that advisors use to sell investment products and retain clients. A great smile and a slick sales pitch will no longer get the job done. In the future, advisors will have to practice full transparency to win assets and deliver competitive returns for reasonable risk and expense to retain the assets."

About InvestorWatchdog.com

Investor Watchdog is an information services company that provides free online tools, data, and guides to investors who use the services of financial professionals. Visit Watchdog's website at http://www.InvestorWatchdog.com for more information.

Media Contact:
Susan Bishop
Media Relations
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SOURCE Investor Watchdog