Wherever you are on your financial journey, there are certain times you may want to meet with a financial advisor for their professional insight and recommendations. Working with a trusted fiduciary advisor can help you plan your future, manage investments and provide guidance on tax preparation, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance, and other important matters. See when and why you should meet with a financial advisor — and how to get started today.

Last updated: February 2026

Planning your finances doesn’t have to be overwhelming or stressful. Sure, there are a lot of key factors to consider, like saving for retirement and planning estimated budgets, but there are plenty of free financial planning tools that you can use as resources to feel more prepared. Here are just eight helpful tools and three financial apps you can access for free:

A wide breadth of experience and a grounding in practicality are what make Bill Anderson good at what he does as a Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager for Carnegie Investment Counsel. Bill handles all aspects of investment portfolio management and client relationships. He has experience in just about all aspects of the wealth management industry, but also in the wider world, including issues around elder care, employment transition and family dynamics. Bill has a long track record in the wealth management field in Cleveland, Ohio. He also spent 15 years with Progressive Insurance, specializing in financial institution crime and liability insurance.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in finance and real estate, as well as an MBA in finance from Kent State University. He held the distinction of being the youngest graduate of both programs for several years. Additionally, Bill held the Wall Street Journal Award for the highest GPA in finance.

The great thing about a financial plan is that it’s unique to you and your needs, but this is also what can make creating one so difficult. You’ll want to consider the key components to a strong financial plan, which will include such things as defining your goals and assessing your risk tolerance. While this part of your financial plan will be entirely unique, there are still some essential elements of a financial plan that should be addressed.

Building wealth is an integral step in many major life goals: purchasing a home, limiting financial stress, supporting loved ones, enjoying retirement, the list goes on and on. But building wealth isn’t always straightforward. What if you’re early in your career and just barely managing to make ends meet? What if you’re nearing retirement but don’t feel you’ve saved enough? No matter your age or stage of life, here are five ways to help you build wealth now.

Making decisions today that are designed to take effect upon our eventual demise is hardly at the top of anyone’s pleasure list. When it comes to ensuring the financial well-being of your family though, making thoughtful preparations regarding the final disposition of your assets should be a priority. The creation of an estate plan allows you to control how your assets are transferred to your heirs when you die or become mentally or physically incapacitated.

An estate plan will have far-reaching consequences regarding how your financial assets are distributed. A properly designed plan can also make directives about your medical care if you become too ill to make those decisions yourself.

In the absence of an estate plan, a probate court may be making the decisions about your money when you pass away, rather than following your wishes. The lack of a plan may leave your family with an undue hardship, particularly if you have not made it clear to them how you want your affairs to be managed.

Consider the essential components of a proper estate plan:

You’ve got many important documents you keep safe: your Social Security card, your birth certificate, your marriage certificate and, perhaps most important, your will. Though some of these documents can’t be changed, your will can be modified throughout your life so that your estate is handled according to your wishes after your passing. You want to make sure the right people inherit your assets, and those circumstances can change over time in relation to choices and relationships. We’ve created a comprehensive guide called Beyond the Will Checklist to help organize what’s typically reviewed. You can download the guide for a deeper dive, or keep reading for an overview of common life events that may signal it’s time to revisit your plan.

Here’s a look at some reasons to change your will.

You’ve spent a lifetime developing an investing style and compiling ideas about how to wisely manage your personal finances. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to pass along some of that wisdom to your family? Here are a few ideas on how to teach money habits to young people. 

Part of any practical education for your children and possibly your grandchildren should be how to manage their finances effectively.  

Don't assume your kids are too young to start this process. If you wait until they are college-age, you will likely miss a golden opportunity to create an enduring set of guidelines for financial management.

Another assumption that you can readily discount is that these lessons will be taught in school. According to the Council for Economic Education, only 30 states require a course in personal finance for high school graduation.

You may be doing a great disservice to your children by failing to give them an explanation of how the primary aspects of personal finance work. Here are some suggestions:

ABLE Act accounts started with a parent. It was Stephen E. Beck, Jr., vice chairman of the National Down Syndrome Society and the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia Board of Directors who proposed a plan to help his daughter, who has Down syndrome, save money. His plan is what became the basis for the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act.

In 2014, the ABLE Act was signed into law by President Obama and in June 2016, ABLE programs were launched in Ohio, Tennessee and Nebraska. In Ohio, for example, these accounts are called STABLE accounts.  

If you’re a parent raising a child with special needs, you know there are unique circumstances when it comes to managing your family’s finances. In a previous blog post, we outlined eight simple steps for parents to take to establish financial stability for their child. This blog takes a closer and more in-depth look at ABLE Act accounts and answers some frequently asked questions.

By definition, ABLE accounts are investment accounts for eligible individuals with disabilities that allow them to save and invest money while retaining eligibility for public benefits programs (like Medicaid, SSI for example). These accounts share similarities with regular bank accounts, but they function more like 529 college savings accounts.

The word fiduciary has evolved from some obscure financial terminology rarely uttered at the neighborhood cocktail party to the in-vogue standard. If your financial person doesn’t meet the standard, you might be deemed a rube.

The term fiduciary seems so commonplace that you might be tempted to take it for granted. Surely, your advisor wouldn’t stoop to anything less than being a fiduciary: a professional who always strives to work in your best interest, even after you are invested. You can check that box. Right?