Financial Planner: Questions to Ask When Finding The Right One for You
Your financial advisor is essentially your financial planning partner who will work with you by creating a strategy to meet your financial goals such as saving for retirement. Your financial planner will act as an educator by helping you understand what is involved in the plan to meet your future goals; they will also become a trusted guide, helping you to navigate the various financial topics such as retirement.
Sage Investment Advisers, LLC located in Poughkeepsie, NY, helps clients by first meeting with them to learn about their current financial status and figure out your financial health. We take our role of financial planner for our clients seriously, we focus on helping them to understand and navigate the complexity of investments, taxes, and insurance.
Understanding the Role of a Financial Planner
Many people confuse a financial planner with a stockbroker, and then they find themselves playing the public market in ways that work against their goals. Further, planners are not public accountants; it is not their job to manage tax filings or track spending.
Because a planner acts as a professional adviser, they are often seen as filling in a gray area between the tax accountant and the brokerage trader. Some financial planners are also bridging the gap between CPAs and traders by offering investment management, tax solutions and full-service financial planning. That said, there are ways to make sure a planner is qualified to do the work needed for proper asset and wealth management. Here are seven questions that you should be asking when hiring a new financial planner.
Question #1: How Long Have You Been Practicing?
While most planners are qualified, finding someone that you trust with your savings and the future of your financial path is incredibly important. Everyone needs to get a start somewhere, but finding someone with experience is key.
Question #2: What Are Your Credentials?
Choose a financial planner who possesses the appropriate professional qualifications to meet your needs. There are a number of credentials that a financial planner may hold; our firm is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), which is one of the important credentials when choosing an experienced and knowledgeable financial planner.
Other credentials you may want to look out for include:
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)
Retirement Management Analyst® (FMA®)
Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®)
Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®)
Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
Question #3: What Is Your Niche?
Some financial planners may choose to work with a niche clientele - pre-retirees, doctors, educators, women, etc. Alternatively, some planners are more accommodating to helping everyone who meets some general criteria - regardless of age or profession.
Finding a planner who works with others like you is a great way to make sure they will understand your specific needs and be familiar with options available to you.
Question #4: Do You Have References?
If you are looking for a fee-only planner, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) provides a good start to find planners who carry high-level standards and ethical qualifications. Broker Check by FINRA is another helpful resource to review any complaints that may have been filed against the advisor you are considering working with.
Question #5: What Are Your Retirement Planning Projections?
How much money will you be able to spend each year from now through your life expectancy?
This is based on assumptions about:
The rate of return of your assets
The pace of inflation
Your spending habits
You’ll want to work with a planner who is able to help you think in the long term and offer realistic expectations of what retirement may look like. They should be able to help you balance your ability to live comfortably today while preparing for a sound retirement.
Question #6: How Are You Compensated?
Transparency is important. Make sure your planner explains the fees clearly so you have a solid understanding of what you’re expected to pay and the services you will receive. If you are going to be working with a fee-only financial planner, they will be incentivized to provide advice and service that is in line with your goals.
A financial planner is a crucial component in your life to ensuring a current and future lifestyle through saving and investing. When choosing a financial planner to work with consider their experience in the field, client testimonials, their knowledge, and their personality. From there you can decide if they are a good fit for you and your needs. Keep in mind the above questions when interviewing financial planners, so you are able to find the right financial planner for you.
Published by Sage Investment Advisers, LLC in Poughkeepsie, NY
We give a financial tip each week on our social media pages! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up to date on our latest financial tips of the week. Click the link below to view the latest weekly financial tip of the week.
View the monthly investment letters we send out to our clients to keep them up to date on everything going on in the stock market and economy. Click below to view the latest monthly Sage Investment Advisers, LLC letter.
June 23, 2025 Sage Investment Advisers, LLC Named 2025 Best Financial Planner in the Hudson Valley WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY — Sage Investment Advisers, LLC, a trusted and local fiduciary firm based in Wappingers Falls, is thrilled to announce they have been chosen as Best Financial Planner in the Hudson Valley for 2025 , by Hudson Valley Magazine. Sage Investment Advisers beat out many other local financial planners and advisory firms to win the title of Best Financial Planner in the Hudson Valley. The Best of the Hudson Valley is an annual competition from Hudson Valley Magazine, where locals vote for their most beloved local businesses in each category. “We are honored to be named Best Financial Planner in the Hudson Valley,” said Jerry Schuder, President of Sage Investment Advisers. “This recognition validates the daily efforts of our team, working tirelessly to guide clients in retirement planning, investment management, and wealth preservation with integrity and care.” Sage Investment Advisers serves clients throughout the Hudson Valley region, including Wappingers Falls, Poughkeepsie, and beyond, offering tailored financial strategies, retirement planning, Social Security optimization, and real estate advisory services. Sage is dedicated to providing their clients with custom financial and retirement strategies to help them plan their retirement and legacy. This latest achievement adds to their list of other prestigious awards which include: 2024 Readers’ Choice: Best Financial Advisor – Hudson Valley , awarded by Daily Voice facebook.com+15dailyvoice.com+15sageinvestmentadvisersllc.com+15 Multiple Five‑Star Wealth Manager Awards (2012–2016, 2022–2025), presented by Five Star Professional fivestarprofessional.com+2fivestarprofessional.com+2fivestarprofessional.com+2 Recognized growth as the Hudson Valley’s #1 fastest-growing wealth management firm in prior industry rankings m.facebook.com+10sageinvestmentadvisersllc.com+10fivestarprofessional.com+10 Best Financial Advisor Firm (2024-2025)-Hudson Valley, awarded by USA Today “Being part of this Hudson Valley community means everything to us,” added Vice President, Joe Guarneri. “This award reflects our clients’ confidence and the strength of our fiduciary-driven practice.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Sage Investment Advisers, LLC Located at 1829 South Road, Wappingers Falls, NY , Sage Investment Advisers is a local fiduciary wealth management and financial planning firm. The team combines financial and investment knowledge with decades of experience to offer custom investment strategies, retirement roadmaps, Social Security optimization, college planning, and real estate advisory services—all designed to empower clients to pursue financial peace and legacy building. Contact Jerry Schuder President, Sage Investment Advisers, LLC (845) 240‑1551 info@sageinvestmentadvisersllc.com Website: sageinvestmentadvisersllc.com Sage Investment Advisers, LLC , serving as Hudson Valley’s premier fiduciary firm, is honored to be named Best Financial Planner for 2025 , and remains dedicated to helping clients build their wealth, retirements, and legacies.