A financial advisor can bring clarity to your money moves and confidence to your future. Here’s how to find the right one.
Ask most people what a financial advisor does, and you’ll probably hear something like, “My advisor manages my investments.” But that’s only one part of the picture. And frankly, not even the most important part.
Unfortunately, the process of working with an advisor is a mystery to many people. A survey by Financial Advisor IQ found that a third of Americans didn’t know how a financial advisor could help them. No wonder so many people hesitate to seek out advice or aren’t sure what to expect when they do.
So I want to pull back the curtain and show what really happens when you work with an advisor who’s not just skilled, but truly aligned with your goals.
These are real, anonymized stories from people who found their advisors through Wealthramp, the platform I created to match people with fee-only fiduciary advisors. I want to show you what it looks like when that match is right, and how it can change your life in ways that go well beyond the numbers.
Christine & Ben – From “Can We?” to “Yeah, We Did It.”
When Christine and Ben got serious about retiring, they weren’t confident their longtime dream of moving south to Florida was actually doable. They were in their early 60s, still hard at work, and had just lost their long-time financial advisor to cancer.
While they were reassigned to someone else within the same firm, it just wasn’t the same relationship. The connection felt impersonal, and the advice lacked the depth they were used to. With a lot at stake and no clear direction, they started searching on their own, hoping to find that same level of holistic guidance. Instead, they ended up meeting another advisor who felt more like a salesperson than a trusted partner.
I hear this all the time. People think they have to settle for whoever they’re assigned to. But when something feels off, it’s worth paying attention to.
This couple needed a financial advisor who would take the time to think through every aspect of their financial life: when to file for Social Security benefits, how to choose their pension options (including railroad retirement income), when to make big purchases like a new car, and how to create a realistic timeline for their move. Most of all, they wanted to know: When can we actually retire – and not look back?
Finally, they were introduced to Dana Mascalo, CFP®, a fee-only financial advisor who specializes in helping people transition into retirement. Dana took the time to really listen. She described their process as a “stepping-stone approach,” where each conversation built more clarity and confidence. Together, they looked closely at spending guardrails, ran detailed income projections, modeled different retirement timelines, and stress-tested down markets and other potential challenges.
That was in 2020. In the years since, Christine and Ben traveled back and forth to Florida, explored communities and, ultimately, bought their dream home. They made the decision to sell a rental property to help make the move and feel 100% secure. Now, Christine is just a few months away from retiring.
“Almost immediately after we met Dana, it felt like we were talking to the advisor we’d loved and lost,” Christine told me. “It’s been five years now, and we still feel that same sense of trust.”
Erika– From Overwhelmed to Empowered
Erika, a university librarian in Texas, inherited her mother’s estate during one of the most difficult times in her life. On top of her grief, she faced the reality that this was also a significant financial windfall. She was now responsible for managing multiple rental properties across state lines, overseeing investment accounts, and navigating complex instructions to set up trusts for her son and niece.
At that point, she connected with a financial advisor, Scott Van Den Berg, CFP®, who works mostly with Gen X and Boomer clients preparing for retirement. What stood out to Erika was that Scott didn’t launch into a conversation about her investments. Instead, he and his team took a step back to really understand the whole picture—what was going on in her life and how all the pieces fit together. Erika later told Scott that he became her advocate, helping her sort through everything from property management to working with CPAs and estate attorneys in Oregon.
That positive experience grew into a trusted partnership. After more than a year of collaborating on estate strategy and planning, Erika chose to engage Scott’s team for ongoing investment management. Today, they continue to work together on all aspects of her financial life, from career changes and real estate decisions to retirement planning.
What made the difference? Erika told Scott that she never felt rushed and never felt he was trying to push her into anything. She felt supported. That feeling – knowing someone’s got your back without an agenda – is at the heart of every great advisory relationship.
As Scott puts it, “We weren’t there to take over. We were there to coach her through it. She was the quarterback. We helped her look at the plays, understand the pros and cons, and move forward with confidence.”
What These Stories Reveal
What I love about both of these stories is that they’re not about beating the market or adopting the latest “money hack.” They teach us about making better decisions, with someone in your corner who is forward-looking and brings both expertise and empathy to the table.
Too often, we reduce financial advice to fees and past performance. But what really matters is what happens after you say “yes” – after you’re in the relationship. Are you getting a safe space to ask your most important questions? Do you feel empowered to make decisions, even during times of uncertainty?
If not, it’s okay to expect more. Because when you work with the right advisor, you’ll feel the difference. You’ll feel more confident, more in control, and more excited about what’s ahead.
MORE ON HERMONEY:
SUBSCRIBE: Get more money tips delivered to your virtual front door each week! Subscribe to the free HerMoney newsletter today.