Hiring a financial advisor is equivalent to hiring a chief financial officer for you or your family. You want to use a disciplined process to find someone with whom you can work for many years. Finding the right person or firm may take some more time, but the investment of time will be well worth it in terms of your peace of mind.

Some financial advisors offer financial planning services but not investment management services. Others manage investments but provide little financial planning. Some have ​expertise in retirement income planning focused on those near or in retirement. Others focus on wealth accumulation for folks who won’t be retiring for another 10 or 20 years.