If you really want to make a good investment, then get the February issue of Consumer Reports.

In it you will find an informative investigation of retirement planning services.

There is enough free information on the Internet and in books to help many people develop a well-balanced investment plan. However, many people are afraid of making a financial mistake that they won’t catch for years.

An increasing number of consumers are hiring financial planners to show them what they need to do or reassure them that they’ve made the right investment choices.

The question is: Do you have to pay a lot to get the best advice?

Consumer Reports found there are some good low-cost options for consumers. Testers used companies that offered free plans, and also paid for retirement planning advice that was priced from $250 to $3,000.

Consumer Reports discovered that for the most part, testers received good, solid investment advice whether it was free, bargain priced or expensive.

And guess what? Even with a planner – low-cost or expensive – you’ve got to spend a lot of time checking what they recommend, according to Consumer Reports.

After you get your plan, you have got to question its assumptions, advises Robert Glovsky, an expert retained by Consumer Reports to review the plans. If any of the assumptions in your plan are way off base, you might end up not investing enough or wind up overly confident that you can retire earlier than you actually can.

You can get a free synopsis of the Consumer Reports investigation by going to www.consumerrepots.org. Click on the link for personal finance.