You may be an expert in your profession, but chances are you do not have the time, inclination, access to sophisticated resources or experience to optimally invest and manage your personal, corporate or philanthropic wealth. Millions of men and women find themselves in this same situation, wondering how to save for future liabilities/obligations such as children college expenses, creating a comfortable retirement and perhaps business succession and family legacy planning.

Talk About Your Financial Goals

Before you can find the right financial adviser, you need to think about what you are looking for and why you need the guidance. Your first meeting with the financial adviser should include a detailed discussion of your goals – and what you hope to achieve by seeking professional help.

Write down a list of your most important financial goals and share them with the financial adviser you interview. Those goals can be anything that is important to you, from starting a retirement plan at work to setting up a college fund for the kids, to paying off the mortgage on your home. The most important thing is that these goals are important to you. Sharing these goals with the financial adviser you are interviewing is a key part of the selection process.

Look for Someone Who Shares Your Value

Everyone has different values when it comes to money and investing.  It is difficult to separate finances from most over-arching goals. So, it is important to choose a financial professional who shares your values, at least where money and investing in concerned.

You and your financial adviser do not have to agree politically or socially – in fact investing with politics in mind is almost always a bad idea. What you are looking for is a shared connection and a shared set of values, something you can build a long-term relationship on.

Focus on Where You Are in Life

Your financial needs and priorities do not stay the same – they change and evolve over time. When you are young and unattached, you may be solely focused on building your career and enhancing your earning power. As you get older and start to settle down, your priorities may shift to buying a home and protecting your growing family. As you get closer to retirement, you may focus more on building retirement income security to achieve and maintain your desired lifestyle.

No matter what your current goals, it is important to work with a financial adviser who is willing to focus on where you are in life. Finding the right financial professional is not always an easy thing to do, but it is important to get this decision correct from the start. When you need help with your investments, you need a professional you can trust, and it all starts with seeking out an adviser who understands and appreciates your values, one who is willing to work with you through every aspect of your financial life.

Welcome to Intelligence Driven Advisers – IDA.

We are a Registered Investment Adviser firm that represents the next evolution of financial services.  We do not manufacture or sell proprietary investment products.  Instead, we focus on providing conflict-free financial advice and investment selection via fully open-architecture platforms that help our clients achieve their goals, ambitions and fiduciary obligations.