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.

As you approach your retirement years, you probably have questions or concerns about how your retirement will look. Creating some certainty by reducing the number of potential surprises can go a long way toward alleviating those concerns.

Here are six things to consider before you retire:

This article was originally published in October 2019 and updated in February 2026 to reflect current information.

As financial scams continue to grow in sophistication, older Americans remain one of the most targeted populations. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), adults age 60 and older reported more than $3.4 billion in fraud losses in 2023 alone. The Federal Trade Commission also reports that Americans lost more than $10 billion to fraud last year, a record high.

Few financial planning concepts are as misunderstood as trusts. What trusts are and whether you need one are two questions that often arise when talking with a financial advisor. Here are some fundamentals of trust planning: 

Are you thinking about re-entering the workforce in your 60s? Even after making a carefully considered decision to retire? 

The reality is that you are not alone. An increasing number of baby boomers are shifting gears and reversing their decision to retire.

Consider the following from a New York Times article that compiled survey data on changes in American’s attitudes toward retirement:

• More than 25 percent of retirees later resumed working
• 40 percent of workers over age 65 had previously retired
• The number of people over age 65 who are employed either full-time or part-time has climbed from 12.8 percent in 2000 to 18.8 percent in 2016

In the world of finance, we are continually learning and seeking high-quality data and information to help us make the best decisions for our clients' wealth.

Our advisors truly enjoy providing financial advice and guidance to those around them, but we were curious about the best financial advice they have ever received. We asked them to share one thing that has helped them achieve success.

So, here are eight valuable points to consider adding to your knowledge bank.

Some DIY investors may feel like they are saving money by managing their own investments. But just like with your car, is it smart to be your own mechanic? A lot can go wrong. What might that cost you? And if you found a great mechanic who you trusted, would you ever want to fix your own car again?

From our years of experience, we find many investors who feel they are managing their own portfolios well. But across the board, when we review their portfolios, we find they are missing out for multiple reasons. Here are a few examples:

Successful investing takes patience. There is no Holy Grail or magic, risk-free formula that ensures success and worry-free sleep. In short, investing involves some risk-taking. However, here are six mistakes you can avoid in your investment portfolio. 

It is very likely you have heard of the book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or seen the Netflix series, Tidying Up. This popular system for organizing your house and office, the KonMari Method, was created by Marie Kondo.

What brings you joy?

Kondo and her writings have become incredibly popular both through her engaging personality, practicality of advice, and her simple but deep message.     

As someone who studied economics in college, I have always been fascinated by human decision making, not just in business but in life. I recently was listening to a Bloomberg podcast interview with Daniel Kahneman that was recorded last year. Kahneman is a professor emeritus of psychology at Princeton University, the author of the best-selling book Thinking, Fast and Slow and one of the world’s most renowned behavioral economists.  Behavioral economics is the study of the psychological, emotional and social factors that impact the economic decisions we make. Below are some interesting points and examples Kahneman discussed: