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Sound financial advice from a professional is one of the best things you can do for your portfolio and your future. No amount of piecemeal consumer-centric personal finance tips from the likes of Suze Ormann or stock investing tips from Jim Cramer can match the expertise of a certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA) or chartered financial analyst (CFA). Attempting to manage your money or file taxes for your small business without one is akin to performing surgery on yourself after browsing WebMD for a few hours – you’ll likely only have learned just enough to hurt yourself even more. Professional financial advice often pays for itself helping you sidestep bad decisions or taking advantage of little known rules and tax breaks. But before you choose a professional to help you with your personal finances, it’s important to know the differences between CPA, CFA and CFP.

Certified Public Accountant

A certified public accountant or CPA is often who you’ll turn to in order to prepare your tax return. However, it’s important to note that the law doesn’t require you to be a CPA to file someone’s taxes (for instance, most of the people at H&R Block aren’t CPAs). CPA licenses are required to perform audits, serve as a public accountant and hold other important positions. Because of this CPAs will often have a much, much deeper knowledge of tax law than a person from a walk-in tax preparation center.

Certified Financial Planner

Certified financial planners, or CFPs, are here to help you with stock investing, retirement planning and provide other qualified financial planning advice. A certified financial planner undergoes rigorous training to learn how to build and implement financial plans for individual investors, like you. CFPs can help you save for college, plan for retirement and meet other financial goals.

Chartered Financial Analyst

A chartered financial analyst, or a CFA, provide top shelf financial advice and focus their work on analysis of stocks and markets. A CFA often holds a master’s degree and has an extensive background in accounting, economics, statistical analysis or portfolio management. A CFA is overkill for personal finance planning, as most CFAs will work in-house for institutional investors or broker-dealers. If you are seeking sage guidance for your non-profit, government or university investment vehicle, though, a CFA is who you would turn to.

Remember: CPA, CFA and CFP are just letters. The best way to tell if a professional can give you the financial advice that meets your needs and goals is to shop around. Call for some consultations and have a brief explanation of your expectations and see if they can help. Ask for references and check with regulatory boards to ensure that the firm or individual is qualified and accredited to give you financial advice.