First, it's quite likely your friends don't know what the heck they are talking about, whether it comes to recommending specific investments or brokers. AdvertisementHowever, the best financial advisors or broker doesn't have to be Bernie Madoff to tell you your friend's advice sucks. Take a look at a study entitled The Market for Financial Advice: An Audit Study, released earlier this year by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Related storiesYou just know that some of these testers were recommending their new guy to their friends too. The best financial advice is boring.

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Persons: Warren Buffet, Bernie Madoff, Sendhil Mullainathan, Sohn, Jon Stein, Jon Organizations: Survey, Consumer Finances, Madoff, National Bureau of Economic Research, Harvard University, AARP, Consumer Federation of America, Investment Advisors, Sohn Investment, Securities Representative, Harvard University ( Economics, Columbia Business School