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Financial advisors hear all types of questions in their daily lives. A good financial advisor is one who is skilled and reputable, and who has your best financial interests in mind.
If you’ve ever wondered what types of questions financial advisors often hear, you’re in the right place. These are big, and have (simplified) answers.
Also see Four Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor in 2026.
When can I retire?
Many financial advisors work with clients on retirement planning, so it’s no surprise they get a lot of related questions. Jay Zygmont, Ph.D., MBA, CFP, Founder of Childfree TrustOne of the most common questions is “When can I retire?”
His response: “Well, do you want to retire?”
Retirement does not mean the same thing for everyone. Some pre-retirees actually plan to keep working; They just want to cut back a little.
“Interestingly, the majority of our clients, all of whom are childfree, respond that they don’t want to retire; they want to know when they can make the transition,” Zygmont said. “In many cases, they have already reached financial independence, and are work-optional, but they have a ‘magic number’ in their mind as to how much money they need to save before they can retire.”
Can you be sure there is no AI in this portfolio?
Financial advisors spend a lot of time working with clients’ investment portfolios. Sloane Ortel, Chief Investment Officer Ethical Capital Investment CollaborativeSaid that a common question he’s been getting lately is: “Can you be sure there is no AI in this portfolio?”
Ortel’s response: “Honestly, even if we don’t invest in big tech and we work pretty deeply at all our companies, it would be easy for me to make sure there are no pants in an office building.”
According to Ortel, there are essentially three levels of being an AI-related company:
- The company sells AI products.
- The company sells regular products using AI.
- The company board has just decided to do something with AI.
For Ortel, the third option is the scariest because it indicates that the company is creatively bankrupt to some extent. “As an equity investor, what you’re looking for is a group that has the ability to deploy capital and generate returns significantly above the cost of that capital,” Ortel said. “And I don’t know of many examples where that has happened by taking orders from the zeitgeist.”
Can you help me budget and stop overspending?
For Annette Harris, AFC, Founder Harris Financial CoachingA common question I get is this: “I don’t know where my money is going. Can you help me budget and stop overspending?”
Financial advisors should be able to review your income and expenses, and then help set a realistic budget. This may mean setting weekly spending limits or cutting back on essentials. Whatever the case, the goal is to keep you from becoming dependent on credit.
What should I do to improve my credit score?
Harris said customers often ask what they can do to improve their low credit scores and increase their eligibility for future loans.
“Let’s start by reviewing your outstanding credit balances and identifying what’s been paid on time, what’s due and what’s outstanding,” he said. “We can also review your credit report for any errors and develop a plan to keep your accounts current, reduce your utilization, and set up a consistent, on-time payment plan.”
There are other steps, but simply making payments on time goes a long way in improving your credit. After all, 35% of your FICO score is based on payment history.
Who will take care of me when I grow old?
Zygmont said this is another common question, especially among people who don’t have children.
“Our response is that their long-term care plan will take care of them,” he said. “We encourage all of our clients to create a long-term care plan by their mid-40s. Then they need an estate plan to ensure that someone can make decisions for them when they can no longer.”