What do clients really wish their financial advisors would ask them?

In a recent WealthManagement.com article, Matthew Regan wrote about some of the key questions that clients really wish their financial advisors would ask. Of course, most advisors are all asking the same “risk tolerance” and other standard questions: but what else are they really worried about? In this list, they really go into detail about specific questions about the client’s personal life and situation. Things like, what is your contingency plan for the unexpected (“What would you do if forced into early retirement?”), what kind of health conditions run in the family, and even what kind of fears keep them up at night.

Along with wanting to know about some specific investing knowledge (like the difference between passive & active investing), this article really gives the impression that many clients want their financial advisor to be a close and important figure in their life & future retirement. It’s understandable that the person you hope will help you reach a successful and secure retirement should be someone that understands your personal fears and possible downturns. Even if not every person is wanting their financial advisor to ask them these kind of questions, it certainly can’t hurt to try to be personal with clients to ensure a strong and meaningful relationship with them for years down the road.