subject: What is the difference between an accountant and a financial adviser? Who to turn to to get financial help for business? [print this page] What is the difference between an accountant and a financial adviser? Who to turn to to get financial help for business?
You go to your accountant at least once a year to have your financial accounts established. But you don't really know what to expect from him or her and sometimes what he or she tells you sounds like foreign language. No worries. I am going to share what an accountant does and what is the major different between an accountant and a financial advisor. Whilst one will be responsible for completing your accounts, the other will be the one to turn to if you need financial help for business.
First of all, your accountant has only one thing in mind when you talk to him: give a true and perfect picture of your finances. This is duty and obligations are as an accountant. In large corporations, they use auditing companies such KPMG, PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC), Deloitte and Ernst & Young to do the work.
Your accountant's priority is not to tell you what to do with your finances but to use the figures you give him to establish the most reflective financial accounts possible. This is the primary difference between an accountant and a financial planner. So which one of them will be able to provide you financial help for business?
Whilst an accountant will work with your finances at year end, his role is not to give you financial help for business. However a financial planner will do. He will not only give you guidance but will be Mr or Mrs Right to go to whenever the need for financial help will be surging. Obviously you need to be sure of what to tell either of them. This is why once you will feel at ease with accounting terms and business finance vocabulary, you will feel much comfortable approaching either of them and get you are looking for.
