Not all advisors are equal. Regardless of the firm name on the door, the experience clients actually have can vary widely from one advisor to the next. The questions you ask in an interview are how you start to figure out the difference.
A lot of the questions people get told to ask are surface-level. They sound reasonable. They do not actually tell you much about the relationship you are signing up for.
The questions worth asking sound different. Walk me through your approach to serving clients, and the process behind it. Talk to me about how you evaluate investments, and whether you sell any proprietary funds that could create a conflict of interest. How do you make sure my plan keeps up as life changes. How do you coordinate with my CPA and my attorney. What happens to my family if you are not around anymore. And how do you document the decisions we make together so nothing gets lost over time.
Those are the questions that tell you whether this is the right person to walk alongside you for the next twenty or thirty years.
We engage with clients who value active engagement, not a passive relationship. That is who this practice is built for, and the right questions early on are how both sides figure out whether the fit is there.
This material is for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.