What can an advisor do for me?

As you make decisions in all areas of your financial life, an advisor can offer personalized guidance on how to avoid common pitfalls and reach your goals

Key takeaways: 

A financial advisor should do far more than just pick investments.

An advisor can help you prioritize your financial goals, develop a plan to reach them and adjust along the way.

A major life transition — birth of a child, purchase of a home, second marriage, death of a parent — may be a good time to seek advice from a professional.

When the markets are choppy, an advisor can help you manage your emotions and put current events in perspective.

THE UNNERVING UPS AND DOWNS OF THE STOCK MARKET. The prospect of inflation undermining your buying power. Higher interest rates boosting the cost of borrowing. The financial world can be a daunting place. And even in the most placid of economic times, you face a confusing welter of rules and decisions surrounding retirement accounts, asset allocation, your retirement age and Social Security claiming strategies. Imagine, then, having a trusted ally who has seen what you’re going through many times before and has years of experience helping others like you navigate the choices that come with a complicated landscape. In other words, a financial advisor.

But if you’ve never worked with a financial advisor, you may wonder what one can really do for you, what the relationship is like, what financial decisions they can help with and how you know you’ve found the right match. Here’s what to expect.

A good financial advisor helps you identify your goals — and reach them

Often the decision to consult with an advisor is triggered by a life change, such as buying a home, inheriting money or starting a family. A good advisor always starts by identifying your goals — even your hopes and dreams — and then turns that understanding into a personalized financial strategy that can help you make those dreams come true.