A lot of people think that in this day and age, a broker is not as important as such a person would have been in the past. However, there will always be a place for quality brokers in a world where trading can take on complicated nuances. While you might not need a master trader on your side, a qualified broker is the least you should go for. Don't just take your advice from anybody who will give it to you, or you might spend the rest of your natural life listening to nonsense from fools. Here is what to look for in a qualified broker.

Certifications

Ultimately, schooling is an important part of the deal. For a broker to operate legally, he or she has to have certain credentials that are almost impossible to fake. These include licensing from several different regulatory organizations, and they are not something one can get in an afternoon. Typically, months or even years of schooling are necessary to get these types of licenses, as is a full background check. Without a clean background, this person should never handle your money.

Experience

Brokers have experience if they are any good. The first person your potential broker most likely handled transactions for was him or herself. If a person won't trust himself with his own money, you should steer far away from him. While arrogance is unnecessary, a broker needs to have a reasonable level of confidence in his ability to execute trades and know what is going on in the market at any given point in time.

Other Clients

The likelihood that you are a broker's first client is almost impossible. Typically that type of honor goes to a member of the broker's family. However, if a broker cannot provide you with some kind of evidence that he or she has done well for someone else, it might be wise to simply do your trading online for awhile -- until you can find a broker wiho has pleased a few clients.

When you seek out a qualified broker, you want to make sure that this individual has more than simply the academic credentials to handle your money responsibly. This is your future here, and you should never trust it to a nerd without practical, real world skills. A good broker has to understand the machinations of the market and how an individual like you fits into it.