Guides & checklists
Good questions.
A useful start.
A few things to bring to your next conversation. Choose a checklist and work through it at your own pace.
Choosing an advisor
The relationship
Which legal entity would I engage? Who is my contact? What is the difference between investment management and any separate planning or specialist work?
The deliverables
What decisions will we work on? What will I receive, who will prepare it and when should we revisit it? Which work belongs to my CPA, attorney, insurer or employer?
The full cost
How is the advisor paid? Which account, investment, transaction or outside-professional charges may apply? Can I see a written explanation using the arrangement I am considering?
The conflicts & choices
Are affiliated providers involved? How could compensation affect a recommendation? What other providers or approaches can I consider?
The next step
What would happen after this conversation, and what can I review before making a commitment? Ask for the relationship summary, relevant disclosures and the proposed agreement.
A new attending role
Money arriving
When is the last training paycheck and the first attending paycheck? Is a signing payment or reimbursement agreed in writing, and what conditions apply?
Money leaving
Which moving, housing, licensing and household payments arrive before then? Distinguish an expense you must pay now from one you can decide about later.
Decisions with deadlines
When do benefits begin and elections close? What information does the employer provide about retirement plans, insurance and any gap between roles?
Loans & records
What do the actual loan accounts show? What needs confirming with the servicer or employer before comparing repayment choices? Keep a current record rather than relying on a remembered balance or rule.
Practice benefits
The offer
What is available, who is eligible and what does the employee pay? Where are the governing plan documents and coverage terms?
The budget
What does the practice contribute? What provider, administration and payroll costs sit alongside those contributions? Which costs can change at renewal?
The service
Who handles enrollment, employee questions and errors? Who performs filings and testing where applicable? What remains the employer’s responsibility?
The review
When will the practice review the arrangement again? Record the provider contacts and the questions that still need a written answer.
Let’s talk it through.
These checklists are general educational prompts. Your circumstances and professional agreements determine the advice and services appropriate to you.