Everything You Should Know About Financial Advisors

Financial advisors charge fees that can cut into your retirement savings. Before you hire one, understand how those fees work and how they affect your long-term returns. It’s smart to meet with a financial advisor but come prepared. Know the basics so you can ask better questions.

This one-hour seminar breaks down how you can invest for retirement, how compounding interest grows your savings, and how fees reduce your gains. You’ll get a plain-language overview of stocks, bonds, and common investment products like ETFs, mutual funds, insurance policies, and annuities. We’ll also go over tax-advantaged accounts including 401(k)s, IRAs, and others, plus what to know about Social Security. Along the way, we’ll help you think through key questions: What do financial advisors actually do? What kind of investor are you? Should you manage your own investments or work with a pro?

If you want a stronger foundation before class, read my book Guidebook to the Federal Reserve. It covers inflation, interest rates, recessions, and how the Federal Reserve works. This background supports the seminar and other financial topics. You can find the book on Amazon at Guidebook to the Federal Reserve or watch more on my YouTube channel Money Refinery.