One of the best ways to start building a strong and solid financial future is to utilize the services of a trusted financial advisor.
When you are searching for a financial advisor, what you are looking for is an objective pair of eyes and ears to help you successfully manage your family’s financial affairs.
This is an extremely important role, and it should only be filled by a top notch professional, so you will definitely want to consult with several different candidates in order to ensure that you find the right person for the job.
Since there are different types of financial advisors with differing designations and credentials what you will want to do so that you are not intimidated or overly impressed by letters behind a name or conned by a fast talker is simply focus on a few core attributes when making your selection.
Some core attributes that you should look for in your financial advisor are:
• Integrity
• Effective Communication Skills
• Likeability
• Organization
• Straightforwardness
• Sound Judgment
• Cautious
• Commitment
• Passion
You can contact your prospective financial planning candidates over the phone and conduct a quick 10-15 minute interview asking them the following basic questions:
Published: February 5, 2026
One of the best ways to build a stronger financial future is to speak to a trusted financial advisor.
Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor
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How Long Have You Been A Financial Advisor?
With experience comes perspective and wisdom, so you want to make sure that your financial advisor isn’t a newbie. You want to look for someone with at least 5 years in the financial planning business?
What Made You Get Into Financial Planning?
What you are generally looking for here is passion. Is it just a job to them, are they passionate about helping people? Did something happen in their life that motivated them to get into this field?
Tell Me About Your Ideal Client?
This is a powerful question that forces a financial advisor to identify what type of person(s) they have experience working with and want to work with. If the description of their ideal candidate does not sound like you, then that means your relationship probably would not work out.
Give Me A Brief Description Of The Financial Planning Process You Use With Your Clients.
What you are looking for here is twofold, first you’re looking for the advisors ability to communicate the process confidently and simply in a way that you can understand.
Second you are looking for an advisor who has a process that is based upon relationship building. You want an advisor who is interested in getting to know you and your goals not just about telling you about how wonderful they are or about how “hot” a stock is.
How Are You Compensated For Your Work?
While this may seem like a touchy subject it is nonetheless an important one. What you are looking for is an honesty and candidness. A real professional who is confident in their abilities and recognizes that they should be rewarded for providing a job well done, should not hesitate to explain to you how they are paid whether it’s a commission or a flat fee. An advisor who fumbles and tries to avoid answering the question is not who you want to work with.
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