It’s not terribly difficult to research people in the investment profession, thanks to such resources as FINRA BrokerCheck and the NFA’s BASIC database. Along with a Google or Lexis/Nexis search, and you can find out a ton of information about people. These resources won’t protect you from those who have not yet run afoul of the law, but they are perfect starting points

In college, the first quarter of accounting is simply bookkeeping: learning how to do debits and credits, then close out the books and prepare financial statements. It’s important work, but it’s also bound by specific rules