A financial planner helps match your current financial needs with your long-term financial goals. This involves evaluating your financial situation, understanding what you want to do with your money and creating a plan to get you there. Financial planners can help lower your spending, pay off debt, save for retirement and invest for the future.

While interviewing potential financial planners, look for someone with expertise in tax planning, social security, insurance, retirement, estate planning, education planning, and investment strategies. They need to be able to formulate a strategy for you that enables you to take money out in a tax-efficient manner. Plus, they also need to advise you on setting up investment accounts and invest funds for you to grow your finances in a secure manner.

A financial planner helps come up with a financial plan keeping in mind your short-term and long-term financial goals and advises you on investments, retirement planning, estate planning, tax liability, and your kids’ college education. Some financial advisors also assist you in buying insurance products and invest in financial products such as mutual funds.

Different financial planners charge differently. Some charge on an hourly basis, a quarterly or annual retainer fee, a percentage of assets that they manage for you, in the form of Commissions, or have a fixed fee for certain services. Do ask your prospective financial planner how they wish to be compensated.

When you are looking to hire a financial planner, make sure you’re prepared and have done your homework. Some questions that you can ask are as follows:

- Do you have experience working with clients like me? Clients may include retirees, widows, divorcees, same-sex couples, and so on

- How much do you charge? Do you charge a fee or a commission based on assets handled?

- What services do you offer? Are they limited to financial planning or do you offer other services such as tax advisory, education planning, portfolio management as well? - How often would we meet to discuss my financial concerns?

- How often will you contact me and are there any limitations on the frequency of contact? What method will you use to contact me?