Top 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Advisor in 2026 

Choosing a financial advisor is always an important decision, and here are the top ten most common questions and our answers to help guide your decision-making when working with us: 

• Who is your typical client?

  Although not exclusive, our group mainly works with these two types of clients: 1) Individuals and couples who plan to retire within 15 years or are already retired, and 2) Younger high-earning professionals with families. Although we do not require minimum account sizes, a typical client's average assets ranges from $500k - $5M.

• What makes your approach unique?

  We've found that while many other advisors focus on managing money in isolation, we focus on helping clients manage the  outcomes money is supposed to create.  Most financial mishaps aren't investment decisions; they’re based around incorrect timing, tax, and behavior decisions. Our job is to help engineer a plan that removes guesswork, increase tax efficient investing, and helps you avoid the mistakes most people make on their own. And while this question will differ depending on one's goals and unique situation, what our clients are really getting is a hands-on relationship. Whether it’s navigating a home purchase, optimizing retirement income, or reviewing employer benefits, we are here to assist you.

• What is your investment philosophy?

  Our team of financial professionals work with you to help builds custom strategies that integrate with your tax strategy, cashflow needs, retirement timing, Social Security strategy and everything else within your financial life. We work with your CPA or tax professional and legal professionals to address your personalized goals.

• Why should I use a Financial Advisor? 

  Working with a financial advisor and team of professionals can help provide an outside perspective, identify blind spots, and turn scattered financial decisions into a well-coordinated strategy. Advisors help you navigate taxes, manage risk for efficiently, and plan for life changes you may not have anticipated. Most importantly, they strive to help give you confidence and clarity so your decisions are proactive, not reactive. We find that even the most disciplined investors get derailed during market swings. Experienced advisors provide rational distance and work together to keep people from being an emotional investor.  Without realizing it, many people often make decisions in silos—investments here, insurance there, estate documents somewhere else. Experienced advisors connect the dots so everything works together. 

• What qualifications or certifications do you hold?

  Our team of advisors currently holds numerous designations, including CFP^®, CFA^®, RICP, CAS, RPS, HFC, Series 7, Series 66, and SIE credentials. Designations like CFP® and CFA® require rigorous education and exams for specialized knowledge. State and federal licenses, such as Series 7 and Series 66, authorize advisors to sell securities and give investment advice. Working with credential advisors provides holistic, technically sound guidance for complex financial decisions.

• How are you compensated?

  We offer our clients two separate, unique compensation options in a ranging fee-based capacity, which is contingent on the specific strategy and defined scope of service agreed upon. Please refer to the Fees page for complete details of the fee structure.

• How will we communicate?

  We provide all of our clients with a direct line to Ben and his team for quick responses and attention when you need it most. This way, no client will ever have to resort to calling a 1-800 number for assistance. From the time you become a client with your first onboarding session, to quarterly review meetings, and anytime in between, we ensure timely responses to help assist. All clients get registered and acquainted with our online Client Portal & phone App features to access documents and view their accounts in real time. We also verify your preference of communication when we need to reach you (phone call, text, email, etc.)

• How are you compensated?

  Yes. Seeing a sample plan helps you understand the level of detail, clarity, and action steps you can expect when working with us. Once we have an initial meeting to better understand your situation and goals, we are happy to provide you with sample materials that may reflect similar objectives to your own plan. 

• What technology or tools do you use? 

  Our group utilizes a suite of top-ranked planning tools to share with our clients, including, but not limited to Asset Map,eMoney, BroadRidge, Morningstar, and AssetMark , to name a few. Much of these allow for client access and the ability to securely upload documents and link their outside accounts all in one place, if they choose.  Modern planning tools, secure portals, and clear reporting can make your financial life easier and more transparent.

Fee-based, and non-fee based financial planning is offered by financial professionals who are investment advisor representatives of Equitable Advisors, LLC, a SEC-registered investment advisor.