What Should I Bring to My Meeting with a Financial Advisor?
Meeting with a financial advisor for the first time can feel intimidating when it is not always clear what you are expected to bring or how prepared you need to be.
This checklist is designed to make that part simple.The documents below help your advisor understand your full financial picture so the conversation can be focused, productive, and specific to you. You may not have everything listed here, and that is completely normal. If you are unsure whether something applies to you, bring it anyway. Your advisor can help sort through what is relevant.
Prefer a simple, one-page version you can save or print? You can download the checklist here.
1. Investment Account Statements
Why it matters: These reports show your balances, holdings, gains and losses, contributions and withdrawals. These are essential for assessing whether you’re on track for your goals. Reviewing them with your advisor unlocks actionable insights: should you rebalance? Ramp up contributions?
2. Retirement Account Statements
Why it matters: Whether it’s a 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA or SEP, bring the latest statements so your advisor can run projections (and help you decide if a Roth conversion makes sense).
3. Pension Estimates (if applicable)
Why it matters: Your employer’s pension paperwork tells you when payouts start, how much you’ll receive, and for how long. That lets you see the gap between “guaranteed” income and your future spending needs.
4. Annuity Contracts
Why it matters: Fixed, variable, indexed, immediate, deferred… annuities come in many flavors. Your advisor needs the contract details and surrender values to model your guaranteed-income options and evaluate any tax quirks.
5. Long-Term Care & Disability Insurance Policies
Why it matters: Policies for long-term care or disability can be lifesavers (literally). Bring summary sheets so your advisor can factor potential medical or care costs into your plan—and make sure you’re not over- or under-insured.
6. Real Estate Details
Why it matters: Include recent home appraisals or Zillow values, plus rental‐property deeds. Real estate is a key component of your net worth, and it brings its own tax implications (depreciation, property taxes, capital gains).
7. Mortgage Statements
Why it matters: Knowing your interest rate, remaining balance, and amortization schedule helps your advisor explore questions like:
Should you throw extra payments at your mortgage or invest the cash?
Would refinancing save you more than you’d earn by investing?
Some people find it helpful to use the one-page checklist as they gather documents. Download your copy here.
8. Student Loan Statements
Why it matters: Outstanding balance? Interest rate? Payoff timeline? Your advisor needs these numbers to shape your debt-management strategy—and keep an eye on your debt-to-income ratio (important if you plan to borrow for a home, business, or other goals).
9. Valuations of Valuable Personal Property
Why it matters: Art, collectibles, jewelry, boats—even classic cars! These can be surprisingly high-value assets. Providing appraisals helps your advisor plan for insurance, liquidity needs, and estate matters.
10. Business Valuations
Why it matters: If you own a business, a formal valuation is critical. It anchors your net-worth calculation, informs portfolio diversification, and shapes your exit or succession timeline.
11. Stock Option Agreements
Why it matters: ISOs, NSOs, RSUs… each has different tax and timing considerations. Your advisor can run “what‐if” scenarios, such as exercise now? Wait for a liquidity event? to optimize your tax bill and cash flow.
12. Social Security Statement
Why it matters: Your annual Social Security statement projects your benefits at ages 62, full retirement age, and 70. Sharing it lets your advisor model claiming strategies (early versus delayed), survivor benefits, and tax impacts.
13. Any Other Asset or Liability Documentation
Why it matters: Have gold coins in a safe deposit box? Partnerships or trust interests? Outstanding personal loans you’ve made to family or friends? If it factors into your net worth, bring the paperwork.
Note: Keep in mind that you may not have all of the documents above. These are our top recommendations for documents to bring to your meeting with a financial advisor, if they apply to you.
Bonus
Consider these two items prior to meeting with an advisor. Writing out and sharing your thoughts would be helpful.
14. Describe your risk tolerance as it relates to investing?
Risk is inherent to investing. However, depending on a wide range of circumstances, people are willing to take different levels of risk. Talk to the advisor about your thoughts and concerns around taking risk. A prudent advisor will not steer you into unnecessary risk while still exposing you to profitable opportunities.
15. What do you want to achieve with your financial assets?
Take time to consider your priorities and what you would like to achieve with your assets in the short- and long-term. Thinking about this list before meeting with an advisor will help you communicate your goals more clearly and give the advisor the information they need to plan accordingly.
Getting Started: Keep It Simple
1. Pick the big ones first. Start with investment and retirement account statements, pension/annuity paperwork, real estate and mortgage info.
2. Use the free checklist. It will help keep you organized, focus on what's most important, and skip items that don’t apply. Download yours here.
3. Let your advisor fill in the blanks. Once you’ve covered the essentials, your advisor can pinpoint any gaps for your next meeting.
Final thoughts
Being prepared does not mean having everything figured out. It means giving your advisor enough information to ask better questions and provide guidance that is tailored to you. With these documents in hand, you’ll transform what once felt like a chore into a productive, confidence-boosting session. Ready to get organized? Download our checklist, gather your paperwork, and take the first step toward a clearer financial future!
Questions? Call us at 800-321-2322
