Fiduciaries are financial advisors with a legal obligation to prioritize your interests as they manage your assets or money.

Unlike a broker who may push you into insurance policies or investments to rack up fees and commissions, fiduciaries are bound to recommend options that benefit you, the customer. While conflicts of interest can still exist, any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

Our free tool will only match you with vetted fiduciary advisors.

In addition to asking about their professional certification, it can also be a good idea to ask a prospective financial advisor about their overall experience.

Generally, the more experience they have the better, especially if your financial situation is complicated. You should consider asking about their education, previous employers and track record of success.

You might also want to consider performing a background check to find out whether they’ve ever been convicted of a crime or been involved in a criminal investigation by a regulatory or trade group.

Don’t be afraid to ask for references from current or previous clients, and be wary of a financial advisor who seems reluctant to provide this information.

For example, some advisors may only handle investments, while others take a more comprehensive approach, including retirement, estate planning and tax planning, along with other services. Ideally, you should look for an advisor whose range of services most closely fit your current and future needs.

Some financial advisors offer a range of services, while others specialize in niche aspects of financial management.

It’s also helpful to ask whether they specialize in a specific type of client. Some financial advisors may cater to retirees while others may prefer to work with families or divorcees. Some advisors cater to high-net-worth clients.

Choosing an advisor who works exclusively with clients whose situations are similar to yours means they could be better equipped to offer the type of guidance and advice you may be seeking.

Before you sign on the dotted line, you need to know how much your prospective financial planner will charge for their services.

Depending on the type of professional you’re working with, they may receive a flat or hourly fee, be paid on commissions, or a combination of both. Fee-based advisers, for example, charge an up-front fee, but may also get a commission for selling financial products.

Fee-only advisors make money from the fees they charge their clients. Some fee-only advisors charge a flat rate while others charge by the hour. Advisors who cater to high-net-worth clients may calculate their fees based on a percentage of the assets under management.

You should also consider asking prospective advisors about their investing approach.

If you’re not comfortable taking on a lot of risk, you could consider a financial advisor who advocates a more conservative strategy. Knowing whether or not their investment style matches your personal investing philosophy beforehand could potentially save you complications in the long run.