5 Questions to Ask Any Financial Planner in 2026
A simple guide to choosing the right adviser.
The questions that reveal the right adviser...
Choosing a financial planner isn’t something most people do often, and it’s not always obvious what to look for.
On paper, a lot of advisers can sound similar. Same qualifications, similar services, similar language.
But how they actually think, communicate, and work with clients can be very different.
If you’re considering getting advice, these are five questions worth asking before you commit.
1. How do you get paid?
This is the first one for a reason.
You want to understand exactly how your adviser earns a living, because it shapes the advice you receive. Are they charging an hourly rate, fixed fee, a percentage of your investments, or a mix of both? Are there any commissions involved?
There’s no perfect structure, but there should be clarity and value. You should know what you’ll pay, when you’ll pay it, and what you’re getting in return.
Here at Balance Wealth, we are paid by the client. No ownership or alignment to any big institution, we act solely in the best interest of our clients, and paid by our clients.
2. What are your qualifications and experience?
This is about making sure you’re actually dealing with a licensed professional.
A financial adviser in Australia should be listed on the ASIC Financial Advisers Register. This allows you to confirm they are licensed, see who they are authorised through, and review their qualifications.
Beyond that, it’s worth understanding their experience. Who do they typically work with? What types of situations do they see most often?
3. What does ongoing advice actually look like?
A lot of people focus on the upfront plan, but the real value of advice is what happens after that.
Do they meet with you regularly? Are they proactive, or do you need to chase them? Can you reach out when things change?
Because a plan on its own doesn’t do much. The benefit comes from adjusting it over time and actually following through.
4. How do you help clients like me? Do you have any examples?
This is where things become real.
It’s easy for an adviser to talk about what they can do, but much more useful to understand what they’ve actually done for people in a similar position to you.
A good adviser should be able to walk you through real examples, not just theory.
If you want to see how this looks in practice, we’ve shared a range of client case studies on our website. They give you a clearer picture of the types of problems we solve and the outcomes we help clients work towards.
5. What do you personally value when it comes to money and advice?
This might not feel like a typical question, but it’s an important one.
You’re going to be working closely with this person, potentially for years. So it’s worth understanding how they think about money in their personal life, not just what they know.
Do they value simplicity or complexity? Are they focused on behaviour and habits, or just numbers and returns? Do they prioritise lifestyle and balance, or purely maximising wealth by sacrificing lots?
There’s no right or wrong answer here, but you want alignment.
We started Balance Wealth because we know that life is so much more enjoyable when you can spend your money on what you really value in the present, and also balance it with making money-moves that set you up for the future. Speaking personally, it’s how we live our own lives and treat money – so why not support and align to clients that feel the same way.
Because good advice isn’t just talking about savvy-tax minimisation strategies or investing (although we do these very well), it’s really about getting to the heart of what you want out of life, and ensuring the advice supports this goal.
Final Thoughts
There’s no perfect checklist for choosing a financial planner, but asking the right questions makes it easier to see who actually understands your situation and who doesn’t.