Look for someone paid only by you, not by the products they sell, because that alignment is the whole point. In India that usually means a SEBI-registered investment adviser (RIA) who charges a flat or hourly fee rather than earning commissions, and who is happy to recommend direct, low cost products including ones they make nothing from. Ask directly how they are paid, whether they act as a fiduciary in your interest, and for their SEBI registration; be wary of anyone whose advice conveniently always points to commission-heavy products. You do not need one for the basics, but for a real event (a large secondary or exit, cross-border tax, estate planning) a good fee-only planner and a sharp CA earn their fee.
3 resources, 2 India-specific, 1 link-checked.
The market regulator own free investor-education portal: unbiased basics on investing, mutual funds, and avoiding scams, with nothing to sell you.
From SEBI by SEBI
Open investor.sebi.gov.in →A no-nonsense, ad-light India personal-finance site: plain math and free calculators for emergency funds, goals, and asset allocation, with no product to sell you.
From Freefincal by M. Pattabiraman
Open freefincal.com →The best reminder that avoiding ruin beats chasing returns, and that wealth is the money you don't spend. The whole founder concentration problem, told as stories.
From The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
