A financial advisor has financial planning knowledge, and he or she is there to help you, but you can’t show up to a meeting with him/her empty handed – the meeting wouldn’t fully benefit you. It’s in your best interest to prepare yourself before meeting the advisor. You can make the most of your time, and decrease your stress, if you come prepared.

Our financial experts at Montoya Financial Strategies are here to help people at different stages in their life with the planning of finances – we address a variety of financial goals from saving for retirement to saving for a college fund. When you choose to work with us at Montoya, you will work with a financial planning advisor who will help you take control of your financial future. We can help you establish clear, realistic goals for success while staying on track with these goals.

With that said, we wanted to share with you some tips on how you can prepare for a meeting with a financial advisor. 

• Prioritize your finances – You need to think about and focus on your financial present and future. Planning for the future can be daunting, especially since it’s not usually “fun,” but it’s necessary if you want to help yourself manage and get through taxes, setbacks, bills, retirement, and more. You need to assess your current financial state to prepare for the future, which means you need to prioritize your financial future over other things.
• Gather documents – If you don’t gather all documents related to your financial situation, your advisor cannot help or guide you. Your financial documents provide information so your advisor can offer advice and explain to you what your financial state is and your options. Without these documents, an advisor can only speak in general terms and can’t give you an accurate representation of your situation and future. You should bring the following to your meeting (if it pertains to you): W-2, 1099 forms, pension, social security., any employment or tax documents, information about a banker, lawyer or trust company you have, information about your banking, credit, and loan accounts, personal investment information, a list of assets, retirement plan information, business investment information, and estate documents such as a will, trust, and life insurance.
• Have Goals in Mind – You want to come to the meeting with goals in mind. In the meeting, you may further define or expand these goals, but it’s a good idea to show up with a general idea of what you want to focus on, whether it’s a timeline for retirement or savings goals. Think about when you want to retire, what type of retirement do you want, if you need to save for any down payments, if paying off debt is a priority, if you want an emergency fund, etc., before the meeting. You need to decide what is important to you and what financial goals align with your values.
• Get Ready to Change – Come to the meeting with an open mind and that there’s probably a lot of things you need to do differently or try to reach your financial goals.

Need Help with Financial Planning?

Financial planning can be overwhelming, but it’s a lot less stressful when you come prepared with an open mind and the proper goals and documents. A financial advisor, like one of ours at Montoya Financial Strategies, can help you make informed choices with a purpose paired with timely and strategic action – this will help you with financial success in the long term. Preparing for your meetings with your financial advisor, whether it will be your first meeting or your tenth, it is a crucial step on the road to financial success. To help you reach your goals you want to give your finances the attention they deserve.

Our team at Montoya Financial Strategies will help you get a financial plan in place. We take the big picture into consideration and help you understand all aspects that may affect your financial goals, regardless of your age or what your goals are.

At Montoya Financial Strategies, we have more than 30 years of experience helping our clients plan for their futures! We want to help you get a hold of your finances. Click our financial planning page to learn more or call us at 800-965-5554.