Due Diligence Archives (2024)

Investment Due Diligence Requires Asking Tough Questions, Because What You Don't Know About An Investment Can Hurt You

Investment due diligence is what separates professional investors from novices.

Thoroughly investigating each investment, broker and money manager before handing over your money can protect you from catastrophic loss and help you make more profitable, informed investment decisions.

The primary objective of any due diligence checklist is to answer four basic questions:

  • What are the expected investment return characteristics?
  • What is the investment risk profile?
  • Are the people competent?
  • Are the people honest?

Unfortunately, performing investment due diligence is not easy. Investment styles vary widely, reporting results aren't standardized, and accessibility to key personnel so that you can get your questions answered can be difficult.

Due diligence is key when making any sort of investment. Empower yourself by being your own financial advocate.

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And if that weren't enough, due diligence takes more time and effort than most people want to spend on the process.

Fortunately, there is a solution: an efficient short-cut for due diligence is available through the internet.

It's now possible to complete preliminary, basic due diligence on virtually any investment, broker or money manager for almost no cost and a few clicks of a mouse. This can save tremendous time and effort by quickly eliminating obvious frauds and other unsuitable investments.

By starting your due diligence process with an internet based checklist you can save valuable time and money allowing you to focus more thorough due diligence only on investments meriting a second look.

See the articles below for the information you needto develop your own, personalized due diligence process:

  • Due Diligence: Five "Must-Ask" Questions Before Making Any Investment - Learn what due diligence questions to ask so that you can avoid losing investments before they cost you money.
  • Twelve Insider Tips For Finding Financial Advice You Can Trust: Find out if your financial advice passes this "gold standard" test by learning the essential questions that can separate good investment advice from bad.
  • Investment Fraud Prevention: A Due Diligence Checklist - Reveals the crucial questions to protect you from investment fraud and send the con-artist ducking for cover.
  • 6 Reasons To Become Your Own Financial Expert - Learn the conflicts of interest hiding behind financial advice and why you must always perform you own due diligence to make smarter, more profitable investment decisions.
  • Variable Annuity Due Diligence: Uncover the truth hiding behind the variable annuity salesman's hype so that you can independently decide if it is an appropriate investment for you.
  • Ten Commandments of Investment Strategy: Find out how your investment strategy measures up to proven success principles and learn what you can do to increase your financial security. Includes a section on due diligence.

Below you’ll find a listing of our most recent articles about investment due diligence providing you with additional strategies and information so you can take the next step…

6 Disturbing Truths Your Financial Expert Won’t Disclose… But Should

Most of us look to financial experts for their knowledge and advice because, well, they’re experts. We pay them for that knowledge because we lack it ourselves. Unfortunately, that knowledge isn’t always as valuable as you might think, particularly when it comes to financial advice. In fact, it’s more valuable to become your own financial expert. Why? Financial professionals aren’t always right, and they don’t always invest with your best interests in mind. Discover how you can improve your investment performance by managing these inherent conflicts of interest…

Warning: How Wall Street Takes Your Money – Legally!

How does Wall Street covertly take money out of your pocket without committing investment fraud, and what can you do to protect yourself? Why does Wall Street hide the paper trail showing how much money they take from your investment account if they don’t have anything to hide. The fact is they do have something to hide, and this article reveals their dirty little secrets so you know what to watch out for and how to protect your accounts. What you don’t know can hurt you.

Due Diligence Checklist To Prevent Investment Fraud

Investment fraud is surprisingly common so don’t delude yourself into thinking it won’t happen to you. But how do you protect yourself? This due diligence checklist will give you all the important questions to ask so the con-man never gets your money. An educated investor who does his homework is the con-man’s worst nightmare. This checklist will show you the exact steps to take so you can flush out fraudulent investments before they ever cost you money. Arm yourself by learning more here…

Five “Must Ask” Due Diligence Questions Before Making Any Investment

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Cliche, but true. And nowhere is it more true than investment due diligence. I’ve saved my coaching clients hundreds of thousands of dollars using the exact techniques taught in this article to easily detect bad deals before a single penny was lost. Use this article to help you avoid the next big investment mistake…

Top 26 Warning Signs Of Investment Fraud

Discover the top 26 warning signs of investment fraud before they cost you money. You’ll learn the sneaky tactics you need to look out for, the essential knowledge you need to avoid investment fraud, and 5 simple principles that will safeguard your portfolio from investment con-artists. Forewarned is forearmed…

FM 016: How To Choose A Financial Advisor with Michael Kitces

It’s hard to know how to choose a financial advisor. There is so much value at stake; yet, how can you tell the experts from the charlatans? Who can you trust? How do you really know? In this latest episode of the Financial Mentor Podcast I’ll give you a step-by-step due diligence checklist for how to choose a financial advisor that perfectly fits your needs. You’ll discover how to sort through the maze of confusion so that you can get the expert help you need to reach your financial goals – without getting ripped off…

FM 008: The Shocking Truth About The Financial Advice Business With Jeff Rose

The financial advice business is riddled with conflicts of interest, hidden fees, and financial incentives that can cost you dearly if you don’t know how to protect yourself. Get the inside scoop showing you how the various investment product sales models work – warts, blemishes and all – so you can improve your investment performance and manage risk more effectively…

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Show Notes

Peer To Peer Lending Review – Dangers Revealed

In a world of zero percent interest rates peer to peer lending can look mighty tempting. Investor’s are starving for yield and P2P lending companies have risen to satisfy that need. Don’t be deceived. Look behind the emotional facade at default rates, unknown risks, operating difficulties and more so you can make a smart investment decision…

How Smart People Make Dumb Financial Mistakes (so that it doesn’t happen to you!)

Bad information is just a tiny piece of the problem and rarely the real cause. The core issue is your thinking process. Here is the story of my stupidest financial mistakes so you can learn from my experience and not let it happen to you…

Avoid Losses: 5 Ways Investment Research Lies To You

Things are seldom as they appear. Nowhere is this more true than investment research. Every day another trading system or sure-fire investment strategy is published. They always look good on the surface – impressive statistics, testimonials, lots of social proof. You’ll find them in best-selling books, or published by authority figures like professors, or endorsed by a trade journal. None of that matters because it can still be total hogwash. Here is how you sort fact from fiction to protect your portfolio…

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Due Diligence Archives (2024)

FAQs

What are the due diligence documents? ›

Financial due diligence documents are essential in assessing the financial health and viability of a company. These documents provide a clear view of the target company's financial status and performance history.

How to do a due diligence checklist? ›

Areas to target for scrutiny in the due diligence checklist should include:
  1. Historical Financial Statements. ...
  2. Revenue and Expense Analysis. ...
  3. Assets and Liabilities Review. ...
  4. Taxation and Tax Compliance. ...
  5. Debt and Financing Agreements. ...
  6. Working Capital Analysis. ...
  7. Financial Projections and Assumptions. ...
  8. Cash Flow Analysis.

What is included in the DD report? ›

After the risk assessment, the due diligence team compiles the due diligence report. The report summarizes findings, highlighting key risks, opportunities and recommendations. The report also includes relevant documents, contracts, financial statements and other evidence that supports the findings.

What are diligence records? ›

Virtue is earned through various methods in the game, but also through completing the Diligence Records, which basically a "Completion List" of doing various things multiple times. These are separated into five categories, and it's worth noting that not all of the metrics will be visible right away.

What are the 4 due diligence requirements? ›

The Four Due Diligence Requirements
  • Complete and Submit Form 8867. (Treas. Reg. section 1.6695-2(b)(1)) ...
  • Compute the Credits. (Treas. Reg. section 1.6695-2(b)(2)) ...
  • Knowledge. (Treas. Reg. section 1.6695-2(b)(3)) ...
  • Keep Records for Three Years.
Jan 22, 2024

What are the 3 examples of due diligence? ›

There are many possible examples of due diligence. Some common examples include investigating the financials of a company before making an investment, researching a person's background before hiring them, or reviewing environmental impact reports before committing to a construction project.

What is a due diligence template? ›

As the process ends, a checklist or template helps the acquiring company look over its work and determine if there are any holes that require more information or investigation. As the benefit of legal due diligence is mainly for the buyer, using legal checklists safeguards against missing any essential information.

What are the three 3 types of diligence? ›

Due diligence falls into three main categories:
  • legal due diligence.
  • financial due diligence.
  • commercial due diligence.

What does a due diligence report look like? ›

Across most industries, a comprehensive due diligence report should include the company's financial data, information about business operations and procurement, and a market analysis. It may also include data about employees and payroll, taxes, intellectual property, and the board of directors.

What is basic due diligence report? ›

A due diligence report is a summary of the due diligence process. In it, risk and compliance teams will detail the research they completed, the information they uncovered and recommendations for how to proceed with the business relationship.

What is due diligence in simple terms? ›

What Is Due Diligence? Due diligence is an investigation, audit, or review performed to confirm facts or details of a matter under consideration. In the financial world, due diligence requires an examination of financial records before entering into a proposed transaction with another party.

What is evidence of due diligence? ›

A due diligence check involves careful investigation of the economic, legal, fiscal and financial circ*mstances of a business or individual. This covers aspects such as sales figures, shareholder structure and possible links with forms of economic crime such as corruption and tax evasion.

What is the red flag due diligence report? ›

detailed due diligence

The red flag review is intended to act as an initial screening tool for clients. The review identifies any aspect of the asset or transaction that may prevent the client from moving forward or any aspect that has significant risk with potentially serious consequences.

What is a due diligence disclosure? ›

Against this background, due diligence reviews are regularly carried out by buyers in order to identify risks that could affect the purchase price or even lead to the transaction being abandoned. At the same time, due diligence serves to properly describe the target company, by agreeing appropriate guarantees.

What is the due diligence form? ›

The IRS requires a Due Diligence form that allows for documentation of preparer and client answers for the following credits: Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Child Tax Credit (CTC) Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) Other Dependent Credit (ODC)

What is a due diligence checklist real estate? ›

Post-offer due diligence includes hiring a building inspector, checking zoning laws, researching the title, getting an appraisal, and obtaining financing. If everything continues to check out with the property, the buyer can move to close the deal.

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