Dear Harry: I have always done my investing based on the recommendations in Money magazine and the Wall Street Journal. I have managed to do OK over the last 10 years, but I had a wicked scare with the big drop in the last year and a half. Friends have recommended that I turn my funds over to a man who says he is a "registered investment adviser." With all of the problems with Madoff and others in the news, I want to know if it's wise to go this route, and, if so, how I can check on this fellow's history and integrity.

What Harry says: The investment advice that you get from your two sources is quite likely better, and cheaper, than you could get from most others who dole out recommendations. Ask this adviser to show you actual results for investors with the same investment profile as your own. Also, you can get a good deal of information about him from his Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (or ADV Form). Get this directly from the SEC. The information shown is about history not the future, so if you don't feel comfortable in an interview, stay away. Finally, NEVER give anyone authority to make investment decisions for you without your OK, except in cases of incapacity or absence. If you choose to go the adviser route, keep the investments in an account with a recognized broker where the adviser is neither authorized to buy nor sell. Keep the ultimate decisions in your hands. *

Write Harry Gross c/o the Daily News, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130.