New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- In a world where 'free' advice is readily available from multiple sources, the idea of paying for financial advice is hard to accept. But investing based on tips from WhatsApp groups and recommendations from incentive-driven bank relationship managers and insurance agents is more likely than not to lead you to the wrong financial products.

Those willing to pay for conflict-free financial advice can turn to Sebi-registered investment advisers (RIAs). The Sebi website provides the list of RIAs registered with it.

Well-regulated by Sebi and mandated to earn income only via fees from clients, and not other sources such as product-based commissions, RIAs can be your way to sound financial advice. But how much should you ...