Meeting with a financial advisor reddit I have an encyclopedia of gen ed and elective classes in my brain and I love matching students to courses I think they’d really enjoy. Hey everyone, I'm new to this sub. An accountant might make sense, depending on what you do with your money and how you're paid. I have an appointment scheduled with an in person advisor, mainly because all of my assets are with fidelity (401ks, Roth, cash management etc. How should I approach this meeting with a financial advisor. And we would split I'm a newbie going to meet with a TD financial advisor. What would be some good questions and topics to ask him about?? EDIT: I’m not looking for a financial advisor, I’m looking to become one. Our advisors and consultants are able to connect you with a broad set of resources, including education content, Fidelity’s thought leadership, and local events/seminars. I know that Unless you have a complicated tax situation or extreme amounts of money to invest, a financial advisor is just someone you are going to pay to do tell you to do whatever is on this sub already (if they are even a fiduciary). 16 votes, 30 comments. It’s good to come into your first meeting with some background, knowing the terminology and such This is where I made my first mistake. The fees you pay at Fidelity depend solely on the products or services you choose. Many have dedicated sections for small businesses, non-profits and community groups to advertise upcoming events. 85% and I don’t get the impression anyone looks at her accounts more than once a year maybe. They… We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. (Call me for reviews too frequently. A financial advisor that isn't scamming you would more or less say the same thing. A financial advisor is less like a professor and more like a coach. How can I speak to a financial professional about my net worth/budget/future without signing up to work with them as my advisor? Nov 5, 2024 · A Fidelity financial advisor recently reached out to discuss my investments, and I scheduled a phone meeting with him. What are some good questions to ask? It also happens to be someone that I could be working for one day, and could very well get an internship from. I'm meeting with the financial advisor to figure out what to do with my 401k from my old job because my new job doesn't have a retirement plan. I suggest you start by reading the subreddit's wiki, which walks you through how to save up an emergency fund and then start investing for retirement. The stress usually comes with dealing with difficult clients and working in a sales We help advisors implement these technologies in their RIA every day, and the key to actually getting time savings is (a) advisor focused tools have more relevant notes and tasks, (b) if the tool lets you do heavy customization of the AI outputs, you can get very close to the note or email draft you would write, (c) if the tool is integrated Here is a list of what I would expect from a full service financial advisor (note: full service advisors typically deal with portfolios of $250k minimum): We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. My boyfriend and I are planning for the future and in the next couple of years we would like to get married and by a home. Many people walk into their first meeting unsure of what questions to ask a financial advisor, or even intimidated by the jargon. They require a minimum 100k investment (which is almost all but 10k of my cash). Meeting with a financial advisor is a critical step toward achieving long-term financial security. I don’t know him personally but he was referred, so in reality… Oct 29, 2025 · Discover how to prepare for your meeting with a financial advisor, including what to expect, the right questions to ask, and how to set clear financial goals for a productive discussion. ) The advisors use the same analysis software that Fidelity makes available to clients online. Join our community, read the PF Wiki, and get on top of your finances! I had an initial meeting with a financial advisor last week and will be meeting with them again this afternoon to discuss potential planning. Cold calling, meeting with clients, asking for referrals, closing business, selling products, managed services, etc. If you value investment management and don't want to 100% DIY, consider a robo advisor for a fraction of the cost. Is it really free? What have your all experiences been with them? Thanks for any insight! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. For me the first meeting is all about connection and that happens by asking open ended questions and listening. What do I need to know/prepare before meeting with a financial advisor? Thank you all for your time and help. The first few years of my career all I did was cold call/ prospect and make introductions to my “Senior partner”. For new advisors just starting out today, I'd also suggest checking online platforms and subreddits related to your local area. Is there an easy way to go about this? tl;dr - What is the professional way to cut ties with a financial advisor who has sunk time into designing a financial plan with you and multiple meetings explaining financial concepts to you in-detail? I’m meeting with a financial advisor next week. A fee-only fiduciary financial advisor can be a great resource to help organize your finances. I quit my job a few weeks ago. Many offer an initial discovery session for less than $300. Nothing wrong with taking a meeting and asking them to review your portfolio and plan. Is doing this worth it in your opinion? Any recommendations for publications or educational material for beginners? If it matters, I'm a one person household and plan to stay that way. During the meeting I want to discuss managing my money obviously, but I also want to pick at his expertise and ask questions. Some advisors want to dive deep into the conversation around your goals, fears and concerns and give you plenty of time to ask questions. trueLike you said shitty advisors are everywhere. I am wondering if you’ve found a financial advisor to be worth your time/money and if they told you any great info, of if it was already information you knew So a little while ago I had a phone meeting with a workplace consultant to go over retirement, etc and she also recommended a meeting with a local Fidelity Financial Consultant (apparently it's complimentary). Wondering if you can offer any do's and don'ts before the meeting? Nov 14, 2024 · Your first meeting with an advisor can set the foundation for a successful financial future. I would start with the wiki, see if you get the information you need and don't need to pay for the advisor meeting. Upon reading most of the advice here on phinvest, I am deciding not to get one. Don't listen to Reddit millionaires. What are some things I should know or have on preparation? I am a 30 y/o tipped employee looking to start a retirement fund. There are no fees to meet with a Fidelity advisor in person or by phone. What should I expect from this initial meeting, and what are questions I should ask during it? Archived post. Hello, u/Connections2118. ) However, I would also like to get some general advice on how my finances should be arranged I am hesitant about “financial advisors” because I’ve had some experience with bad ones in the past who pushed whole life insurance on people I know, and We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. He is simply trying to establish a client base. After some More important are questions for you. What should I ask? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. They also have access to tools which makes the comparison process easier. You can get support in completing your rollover and help in creating a plan for the funds. Reply reply cattrapper • Financial advisors are worth it for people without a retirement plan. Salary is 40 - 50,000. Apr 4, 2025 · Learn tips on how to prepare for a one-time meeting with a financial advisor and get the most value out of your session. Oct 20, 2024 · Planning Should I speak with a financial advisor? (self. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot What to expect from financial advisor first visit My wife and I are seeing a financial advisor in a few weeks to discuss our goals and how to pursue our next steps. I suggest you find a new, independent fiduciary, firm to work with. However, I feel a little intimidated and confused by this process of basically committing to an advisor and then getting in to the program/starting a PhD. You can connect with a local advisor using our Branch Locator tool on the Fidelity website You don't need a financial advisor. What are some questions I should be asking? Hey everyone, A friend of mine was recommending a financial advisor to our group of friends. If there's something unique about your situation I would recommend meeting with a FP, but if it's fairly cut and dry the advice on this site tends to be fairly accurate for the most part. They do not make money for selling you products, mutual funds, or stocks. Not saying you can’t hire one, but that’s kind of like the equivalent of using a personal trainer when you’re struggling to do 5 push ups. People need to relax, this man is not the devil. But you can choose to get a financial advisor any time it becomes overwhelming for you to handle your own assets just keep in mind a good financial advisor is expensive and a bad one is more. No financial advisor really knows what individual stocks are going to do I promise you, talk with them and they will regurgitate opinions they read from articles. I was interested in getting an health insurance+investment. You wouldn't want someone who charges a % of your assets to manage your accounts on an ongoing basis. Her previous advisor at Merrill Lynch, DJ got promoted and now works in a higher up position and so they had to switch her to a new advisor. They charge a $500 up front fee and 1% per year fee of our… Concerns after first time meeting financial advisor I've always wanted to get a better grip of my finances so I was ecstatic after meeting with this fin advisor. Who do you start with? Friends and family of course. When looking for a financial advisor, you want to find one that is an independent fiduciary advisor. Check out top posts in other subreddits that deal with personal finance. Not interested in putting my assets under management or a retainer. Know going in to this meeting that it is a sales pitch to get your money. Their advice for what to invest in will be more or less similar to a target retirement age portfolio. This is not some magical protection and it's weird how often it gets parroted on here. I am a 22M and I have an upcoming meeting with my financial advisor. . ) But I was wondering if there were any red flags I should look out for when meeting with him? Hey, hey, u/skilliard7! Welcome back to the sub. EJ is great at minimalizing the level of shitty advisors in their ranks, and its super thrilling to be able to land a new client because you told them a truth for once in their financial life and pulled them from a really shitty advisor. As some one else said, advisors typically do So lately I've been reaching out to potential advisors and doing zoom meetings with them. Financial literacy is one of those things that you can learn on your own. My plan was to invest 100k in individual stocks in a wealth-managed account with his assistance. I would revisit with the same planner occasionally (maybe every 2-3 years) to update the plan and keep me on At my school when a parent shows up for such a meeting the advisor makes it clear they are not the subject of the meeting and that the student is the one who will be answering questions and making decisions. 37 votes, 170 comments. I'm happy to share that speaking with an advisor is free, and there's no charge to set up an appointment. Reddit has general best practices that are sufficient for around 90% of people. See full list on investopedia. Meeting with my financial advisor this week for my 403 (b). What company (Wells Fargo, Fidelity, etc etc) do y’all recommend and why. I'm looking for a planner to do a one-time, project-based review and provide recommendations for me to go implement myself. It really depends on personal circumstances, but most people probably don't need a 1% financial advisor unless they have a lot of wealth and have a complex financial situation. and NOT an Insurance Salesperson??? I’d really love to get more knowledge in managing and growing my finances but all financial advisors I find in the PH are insurance salespeople? Going to a free meeting with a College Financial Aid Planner what Q's do I ask? Me and my spouse went to a free FA seminar at our kids school put on by a financial planner who specializes in helping families plan for college & helps with financial aid applications. It is usually focused on sales goals. If you still do Financial advisors can be worth it if you have complexity in your financial situation. What does r/personalfinance have against financial planners anyway? This person is a business owner. personalfinance) submitted 3 hours ago * by aulucerne Hi! I'm 30F and finally getting into a financially secure place with a well paying job that comes with a ton of benefits but I know so little about the financial world. Fr You may be "doing fine" but financial advisors exist for a reason. But the advisors are able interpret the results of the analysis software more wisely and suggest fund tweaks. They will help you develop a plan and stick with it. Unless you have several million dollars in assets, you most likely don't need a financial advisor. Wow, you should totally trust these people with your financial future! The “selling” may begin here. Here is a comprehensive list of the times when you should meet with a financial advisor: People typically hire accountants to file their taxes and financial advisors to actively manage their money. You need to be ok with rejection, ok with rude sometimes blunt clients. During the scheduling, the advisor mentioned annuities, which made me wary due to their high commissions. What is your goal in meeting with a financial advisor? What specifically do you want to pay them to do? How much do you want to pay this financial advisor and how do they get paid? I also want to open up an RRSP and begin to save for my retirement. Financial planners help with, you guessed it, meeting financial obligations. Here’s what I learned. Hey Reddit Fam, I had a windfall of a good sum of money, I am meeting with the financial planners from JP Morgan who will be managing the money. But before commiting, I decided to do further research and reviews regarding this type of investments. I have had Fidelity for decades. You should also look at the pretty in-depth wiki on this sub. To help you feel more confident and prepared, here’s a list of good questions to ask a financial advisor or wealth manager during your initial consultation. If you have a general plan in place (like the 80/20 strategy or the 3-fund portfolio) and you have an idea of what it will cost to retire, then you don't need a financial advisor. Does anyone happen to know where I could find a financial advisor to help with budgeting, where to invest, asset management etc. Is a financial advisor worth meeting with if I have a net worth of $350k? I’m kinda wanting more direction but also feel like my worth is too small to waste on an advisor. Meeting with Edward Jones advisor. However, I wanted advice on what questions to ask a financial advisor (as I nor anyone in my family has worked with one before) and if anyone has experience using a Private Client advisor with JP Morgan for investing. Apr 2, 2025 · You don’t need a lot of money to set up a one-time meeting with a financial advisor. Too many insurance brokers claim the moniker ‘Financial Advisor’ to prop themselves up, and it doesn’t let people make the most informed decisions a true financial advisor will either charge you a flat fee or a percentage of assets under management. He was pretty evasive/downplaying the 1% fee and said it is similar to what my robo accounts were charging. ( I'm just working there while I'm in school. Jun 30, 2025 · After years of writing about money, and talking to countless financial advisors, I finally sat down with one to discuss my own finances. I'm happy to jump in here to clarify any confusion regarding this. In the US- This week I’ve got 3 meetings with different financial advisors/brokers. What information do I need to have… $50k isn't really enough that you need a financial advisor. I'm happy to help point you in the right direction! First, I wanted to clarify that simply meeting or working with a financial advisor at Fidelity is free. Going into my first meeting with a financial advisor on Monday. I guess my question is will it be worth it to work with a financial advisor? Aug 9, 2022 · The first meeting's timing and agenda will vary by advisor. What are good questions to ask? : r/personalfinance Go to personalfinance r/personalfinance r/personalfinance I have a meeting tomorrow with one of SoFi's financial advisors. Have you had the opertunity to sit in on or assist with client meetings led by more experienced advisors? Generally an independent financial advisor is going to be better at this and more likely to sell you a solid product that you actually need than someone who sells directing for the insurance companies so he has that going for him. 401 (k) rollover steps However Our advisors will meet you where you are on your financial journey, and help you get to where you want to be. My mother-in-law needed a full assessment of her finances (nearing retirement, bad financial advisor, complex and high-fee illiquid products) and we worked with Pure Financial. The best decision I made in my career was to partner up with a more experienced advisor early on. You may decide that in retirement, having a financial advisor is the best for your situation, use this class and others to learn what questions you should ask in a perspective financial advisor and learn about their fees and offerings. What should I prepare for the first meeting? -Bank account information? Like overall money overview? -credit check? -assets? -pay stubs? -money accounts? We are glad to hear you've decided to take the next step in your financial journey, u/spook008, by meeting with one of our advisors. Throwaway because my friends know my reddit but not my financial situation. Don't bother answering cold calls from these people. How can I politely turn down the offer? Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort A financial advisor will be able to help you with finding a custom policy that suits your needs. And they offer more free advice than I want. I'm meeting with a financial advisor tomorrow to discuss my saving and investment options. I’ve always felt like I could do my own research and find helpful resources, like this sub, to circumvent the need for a financial planner. Currently our financial advisors fee is . Meeting with financial advisor from ML. All of this was so new to me and this guy felt trustworthy enough so I took all his advise and was ready to start doing all his recommendations. We would like to possibly meet with a financial advisor to help us sort out our options and see how much we can afford. I pose two questions. Discover what you need to bring for maximum productivity! This Reddit seems all about self directing, but does anyone ever use any assistance from vanguard (or their respective brokerage)? I’m moving a large portfolio over to vanguard and want to embrace everything about the Bogle principles, but would love at least someone to dialog with as I get it setup to make sure I’m thinking about the whole portfolio the right way. For most people, they are not likely to encounter such complexity until they are older. Also, do you have a standard offering that includes "x" number of reviews each year? Hi Everyone, I was recently looking to open a new HYSA, as well as to begin meeting with a fee based financial planner. We offer several convenient methods for meeting with our 17 votes, 22 comments. Here's what you need to know and bring before meeting with a financial planner. We appreciate you choosing Fidelity Investments for your investment needs. com Sep 4, 2024 · Your first meeting with a financial planner doesn't have to be scary. I recently transferred a lot of money from multiple brokerage accounts in-kind with the help of a young and attractive Financial Advisor/VP at a Chase branch. You need to learn how to be ok with confronting clients and challenging them. As you noted, they PROBABLY want to sell you on Whole Life insurance. The value just isn’t there until you hit a certain level of income/net worth. It took some trial and error, but eventually I found one I can partner with. Put the money in a savings account for now, and read around this subreddit, and various less-biased websites like the Bogleheads wiki. When providing advisory service through FPWA, our advisors act in a fiduciary capacity. I saw SoFi offers free financial planning with a fiduciary. Not to even mention that I am 22 years old with no dependents, and have They make you set up a meeting with a financial advisor when you join. I'm going to politely tell him I don't need his help as I'm quite financially literate and I'll be a millionaire without his help regardless by the time I'm 42 and retired by 53/54. I even had a one on one meeting with a financial advisor. I have never met with a financial advisor before. Again we struck a chord and the process (multiple meetings to discuss the plans and goals) was smooth. I'm curious what others have paid for fee-based financial planners to do a one-time review. They’re based out of San Diego but handle clients nationwide. I'm going back to school to get my masters degree. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Message the Mods Please know that Fidelity Advisors are licensed with Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors LLC (FPWA), a registered investment adviser, and registered with Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FBS), a registered broker-dealer. We live in metro Vancouver and ideally would like to stay. Once you understand how investing works for low-fee mutual funds, you can do it yourself quite easily. After a few meetings, this advisor gave me a "financial plan" that included paying for term life insurance AND whole life insurance AND disability insurance (all policies under the company they work for). I have three questions that often create 15-30 mins of conversation. Just Learn about budgeting, saving, getting out of debt, credit, investing, and retirement planning. But the value you get from the financial advisor meeting largely depends on how well you prepare. Thanks for any information! I’m an academic advisor!! I love to hear about why my students choose their major and what their career goals are, as well as general interests and hobbies as well as what you do for fun outside of school. My wife and I (late 40s) had an initial meeting with a local fee-based financial advisor. We also want to congratulate you on preparing to build your new home! So if you catch yourself in a meeting with one of your friends who is now a Financial Advisor, chances are they just met their “partner” a few weeks prior. Reply reply Eltex • I've thought about talking to a financial planner to get some advice, but I'm not sure at all what a reasonable fee is for one, or how to spot any red flags. These would come out to $4700/year when my salary is only in the $80-$90k range. If you want to start the rollover process online, please visit the link below. A good financial advisor's concerns when it comes to how you invest your money should start with trying to get an understanding about your individual situation, who you are as a person, how well you understand finances, your lifestyle, specific financial goals, a rough idea of what your total assets are, any major debts. What are some good questions to ask each of these advisors to help make my mind on which company/ broker- advisor I should choose. I greatly appreciate you considering Fidelity for your rollover. First, we appreciate your interest in wanting to meet with one of our advisors. A fiduciary advisor is legally obligated to act in your best interest. Meeting with a financial advisor tomorrow for the first time. Would love feedback. setting up an investment strategy, sure people could teach themselves but there is so much information out there that can be overwhelming for people. Thing is the competition is changing; the independent channel is growing Late october - The next step was a meeting with the regional director who facilitates the team program and oversees the business plan development. What are things that I should ask/be aware of? I am a PGY-… Thank you for stopping by our subreddit, u/gametime-2001. After a considerable amount of research, the trend seems to be maxing out 401ks and ROTHs, and stashing savings in a HYSA. I would make the introduction schedule the meeting, and he would close the business. ngfb qfdenfbzn wmqpskd svfup gjyf kurm gxte qqjfg bloxh yshqs hcnaz zxwcd ffujv gxzjh zlfh