A good place to begin is finding the various advisers you'll need. Start by asking friends who they use for their taxes and financial advice. A referral will serve a dual purpose: you'll get someone with a track record who has worked with someone you trust, and you may even get special treatment because you're a friend of a client.

Also let your advisers refer you. If you have a broker who has done great work for you, ask for a recommendation for an accountant. Financial professionals generally have a good grasp of who the best practitioners are in related fields.

You want to strike a balance between someone who has been around long enough in the profession to know all the rules and laws and someone who can grow with you as your income grows and your investment goals change.

Some of the people you might want in your stable of advisers:

• accountant
• stock broker
• mutual fund adviser
• insurance agent
• benefits manager at the company where you work

Accountant