Questions You Should Ask Any Financial Advisor You Might Hire
Questions You Should Ask Any Financial Advisor You Might Hire
Aug. 26, 2021 Lindsay Goldwert
One surprising question you should ask any financial advisor you might hire — their answer could be a huge red flag. They often manage your life savings. Be smart about who you hire. Asking the right questions can help you get a financial planner who meets your needs.
Planning your financial life can sometimes be a lot to handle on your own. If you’re paying off your debt, how much should you invest into your Roth IRA? Should you buy a house or keep renting while you build up some liquidity? While not everyone needs a certified financial planner, they can help you get organized and formulate a plan for your money. But how do you know who to trust and whether they’ll be right for what you want to accomplish?
When you meet with a certified financial planner, here are the 15 questions you should ask them to make sure they are trustworthy, experienced and have your best interests at heart.
1. “‘What’s your definition of a financial planner?”
The definition of a financial planner is very broad and can encompass everything the planner helping with everything from investing and retirement, to insurance and taxes. You want to make sure that the financial planner you go with defines their job in a way that aligns with what you will need them to do. Some may only want to deal with your investments, others may take a holistic approach and even get into the nitty gritty with your budget — make sure the planner you hire can do exactly what you need. Use this tool to get matched with a planner who meets your needs.
2. “What are your qualifications?”
When it comes to planning your financial universe, you likely want a certified financial planner (CFP) or, if you want help with taxes, a certified public accountant (CPA). Just because someone says they’re a financial planner doesn’t mean they’ve taken the exams that qualify them to be a certified financial planner or CFP. They may have other licenses, such as the Series 7, that allow them to sell financial products, but that’s not the same.
“Know the difference between an actual qualification designation and what is a list of tests that a person took in order to sell stocks and bonds,” explains Katie Brewer, a Dallas-based certified financial planner and founder of Your Richest Life.
To become a certified financial planner, you must take financial planning educational courses, pass an exam with a historic pass rate of around 60%, adhere to ethical requirements, have 6,000 hours of professional financial planning experience or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience and keep up with continuing education. Becoming a CFA also requires rigorous education, exams and more.
“Don’t be shy about asking your financial planner when they received their CFP® mark and how long they’ve been in the business,” explains Brewer. “Trust me, we’re used to it.” You should also double check a CFP’s credentials at CFP.net.
You should also ask other questions like how long they’ve been practicing, what their typical client looks like, and their personal philosophy around financial planning.
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