\n<\/p>\n
When you first meet with a financial advisor to see if they\u2019re a good fit, you likely have at least some idea of the questions you want to ask.<\/p>\n
Read More: I\u2019m a Financial Advisor \u2014 4 Investing Rules My Millionaire Clients Never Break<\/strong><\/p>\n Check Out: 5 Low-Effort Ways To Make Passive Income (You Can Start This Week)<\/strong><\/p>\n Some financial advisors and experts GOBankingRates talked to suggested some questions they wish new clients asked. You may be surprised how such simple inquiries could lead to useful information as you try to find a good match.<\/p>\n According to Andrew Lokenauth from Fluent in Finance, this is the single most important question, and almost nobody asks it. Fee-only advisors charge you directly. Commission-based advisors get paid when you buy certain products. Fee-based advisors do both.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring my time on Wall Street, I watched clients get steered toward investments that paid the advisor better, not investments that served the client better,\u201d Lokenauth said. \u201cYou deserve to know if your advisor makes more money selling you product A versus product B.\u201d<\/p>\n Learn More: I\u2019m a Certified Financial Planner \u2014 Here are 5 Best Retirement Perks You May Not Know You Qualify for<\/strong><\/p>\n According to Kevin Estes, CFP, founder of Scaled Finance, accounts and investments seem to multiply. It can get overwhelming.<\/p>\n \u201cConsolidating accounts may eliminate logins, statements and transfers,\u201d Estes said. \u201cStreamlining investments can improve visibility and simplify management. Automating transfers and payments may also help.\u201d<\/p>\n Marguerita Cheng, CFP, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, said this is among the questions she wishes new clients would ask. After all, it\u2019s incredibly helpful for the investment philosophies of the client and the financial advisor to align.<\/p>\n Taxes are typically one of the largest expenses someone has throughout their life.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my experience, many folks don\u2019t have that as a top priority when planning,\u201d said Brandon Gregg, CFP, advisor with BBK Wealth Management. \u201cYes, there are many areas of planning and all of them are important, but taxes should be on the top of the priority list. I\u2019d argue that retirement planning or financial planning in general is not ever complete if taxes are not taken into consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n Christopher Stroup, CFP, founder and president of Silicon Beach Financial, added that taxes quietly shape your long-term outcome more than most people realize. \u201cUnderstanding how income, equity compensation and investments interact lets you keep more of what you earn and avoid decisions that look good short-term but hurt later,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n