Financial Advisor in Ohio: What Should You Look For?

A financial advisor may help individuals and families evaluate financial decisions involving investments, retirement planning, wealth planning, and other areas of personal finance.

Services vary from one firm to another. Some advisors focus mainly on investment management, while others also provide financial planning and help coordinate different areas of a person's financial life.

An initial conversation may include your investments, retirement resources, financial priorities, and plans for the future. Understanding your circumstances gives an advisor helpful information to consider when discussing financial planning and investment decisions.

Pinnacle Advisors offers Wealth Management and Wealth Collaboration services that include financial planning and collaboration with other professionals.

What Should You Ask Before Choosing an Advisor?

You do not need to be a financial professional to have a helpful conversation with an advisor. Start with questions that help you understand how the relationship works:

• What services do you provide?

• How are fees structured?

• Are you a fiduciary?

• How are investment decisions made?

• How often is financial planning reviewed?

• Who will I work with directly?

• Where are client assets held?

• Do you coordinate with my CPA or attorney?

You can also review an advisor's Form ADV and Form CRS. These documents provide information about services, fees, conflicts of interest, and other regulatory disclosures.

Why Does Fiduciary Status Matter?

Fiduciary status is an important factor to consider when choosing an advisor. The duties that apply depend on the advisor's registration, services, and the scope of the relationship.

Ask an advisor to explain when fiduciary duties apply and how potential conflicts of interest are being handled. Understanding these details can help you decide whether the advisory relationship fits your expectations.

Compensation is another important topic to discuss. Ask whether the advisor charges fees, receives commissions, or has other forms of compensation connected to financial products or services.

How Does Financial Planning Fit In?

Your financial circumstances can change over time. Retirement, a business transition, changes in family circumstances, an inheritance, or new financial priorities may create new planning considerations.

For this reason, ask how an advisor handles ongoing financial planning. Find out how often your plan is reviewed, what information is considered during those reviews, and how changes in your circumstances may affect the planning process.

Pinnacle Advisors offers services including Wealth Management, Wealth Collaboration, Trust Administration, financial planning, and ongoing investment advisory services. Its Wealth Collaboration programs include CPAs and attorneys when their professional knowledge is relevant to financial planning..

Finding a Financial Advisor Individuals and Families Can Work With

Choosing a financial advisor starts with understanding what you need from the relationship. Consider the firm's services, fees, fiduciary status, investment approach, communication process, planning structure, and regulatory disclosures.

If you are researching a financial advisor residents may consider, take time to ask questions and review the available information before starting an advisory relationship. Understanding how an advisor is compensated, how investments are managed, and how financial planning is handled can give you a clearer idea of what to expect.

The right advisory relationship depends on your financial circumstances, priorities, and the services you need.

FAQ

What does a financial advisor help with?

A financial advisor may help individuals and families evaluate investments, retirement planning, wealth planning, and other financial decisions. Services vary by firm.

How should I choose a financial advisor?

Consider the advisor's services, fees, fiduciary status, investment approach, planning process, communication practices, and regulatory disclosures.

What questions should I ask a financial advisor?

Ask about services, fees, fiduciary duties, investment management, financial planning, asset custody, communication, and coordination with your CPA or attorney.

What is a fiduciary financial advisor?

A fiduciary financial advisor has legal duties that apply within the scope of the applicable advisory relationship. Ask the advisor to explain when those duties apply and how potential conflicts are addressed.

Does Pinnacle Advisors provide financial planning?

Yes. Pinnacle Advisors offers Wealth Management and Wealth Collaboration services that include financial planning and investment advisory services.

Disclosure

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. Please consult appropriate professionals before making financial or other decisions.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION

Please remember that past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by Pinnacle Advisors [“Pinnacle”]), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this blog will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful.  Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions.  Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this blog serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Pinnacle. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. No amount of prior experience or success should be construed that a certain level of results or satisfaction will be achieved if Pinnacle is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Pinnacle is neither a law firm nor a certified public accounting firm and no portion of the blog content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of the Pinnacle’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available for review upon request or at www.pinnacleadvisors.com. Please Note: Pinnacle does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to Pinnacle’s web site or blog or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please Remember: If you are a Pinnacle client, please contact Pinnacle, in writing, if there are any changes in your personal/financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising our previous recommendations and/or services, or if you would like to impose, add, or to modify any reasonable restrictions to our investment advisory services.  Unless, and until, you notify us, in writing, to the contrary, we shall continue to provide services as we do currently. Please Also Remember to advise us if you have not been receiving account statements (at least quarterly) from the account custodian.

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