It can be a good idea to use a stockbroker for an active management of your stocks or mutual fund portfolio. It can be vital if you want a steady growth. It may also be unnecessary as a passive management alternative often is available for long term investing.

However, many prefer to use and pay for the services of a broker because they feel more comfortable making decisions about their finances with the interactive guidance of a licensed advisor.

Furthermore a conflict of interest arises when a stockbroker offers his/her services as a financial planner, because their revenue is generated as a direct result of your investment in the stock or mutual fund that they broker to you.

If you use the services of your bank there are some facts to consider. When you talk about the options you have to invest your money, they will certainly recommend the funds they control themselves.

So now your portfolio starts off with a backlog of minus 10%. Often the investment will recover and take back most of the initial loss and the guarantee makes many invest as they feel comfortable and secure when they invest in this way.

There are the authorities though to help the customer out. And there are rules and regulations about the way stockbrokers can and shall work. Depending on in which country you are investing the rules can vary. In some countries stockbrokers can have his own portfolio and the company where he works can also have an portfolio of shares.

Stockbrokers in general are behaving in a professional way and realise that their business will benefit most if the outcome for their customers are great. As a customer you are advised to check the results that a stockbroker have produced, trace their records. Do not look at the advertisements, the truth about the results are not there.