Planning for retirement - what kind of advisor do we need?
Mid-50's couple with meager retirement accounts, small real estate portfolio, small business. Have an accountant who does very basic tax and payroll services who is not amenable/skilled enough to offer any sort of financial advice.
Looking to meet with someone on an hourly basis who can take a look at the total financial picture and offer advice and help make sure we are on track for our retirement. That's it!
Not looking for anyone connected to an investment vehicle or with something to sell.
The financial advisors in the archives are mostly folks who can offer help on making investments - just want to meet with someone who can look at our picture and let us know whether or not we are on the right track.
This does not seem like a traditional 'financial advisor' type of person, more like a financial counselor??
Anyone??
Parent Replies
I highly recommend Sarah Behr of Simplify Financial Planning. She provides the service you are looking for, is very knowledgeable, and an absolute delight to work with. She was very helpful to me a few years ago, both pre- and post-divorce.
I use Patricia Johnson at Raise Financial Advisors in Oakland. Many advisors don’t do hourly.
We worked with Autumn Kruse (https://www.krusefinancialstrategy.com/) to assess where we are regarding retirement and what we need to do to be ready. Very straightforward and down-to-earth. She does not sell or hawk specific investments. We did a package deal with her (set amount of money for a set of services), but I believe she will also work on an hourly basis.
You should look for a Certified Financial Planner (that is a specific certification, not a generic term). Some of them may focus on investments, but the training for the CFP includes coursework in retirement planning, insurance, tax planning, estate planning, investing, and I think a couple other things. Fee structures range the gamut, but there are CFPs who do hourly work or will charge a fixed rate for a specific plan (fewer than planners who charge a % of assets under management, which you don't want, but you should still be able to find a few). The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a good place to start; they have a search tool for fee-only (i.e. not paid through commissions on things they sell you) advisors that can narrow down your search. That should at least narrow down your search.