Your first meeting with a financial advisor is where you will start to learn whether their approach, experience, and communication style are right for you. You don’t need to give them your full financial profile for this first meeting. Instead of a deep financial planning dive, it’s a chance to ask direct questions to see how the advisor responds, so you can decide whether a working relationship makes sense.

This meeting is mainly a chance for you to decide whether the advisor feels like a good fit. The advisor may ask about your goals and general situation, but you are not committing to move forward. You do not need to bring or share account statements, tax returns, full balances, net worth figures, or other detailed financial documents in this first meeting. That kind of detail can wait until after you decide to work with them.

If you have not reached out to an advisor yet, see our guide: How to Reach Out to a Financial Advisor: What to Say and What to Share.

Questions

The following questions cover a range of topics. Choose the ones that feel most relevant to you. This is just a first step. If the advisor seems like a possible fit, you can schedule another conversation to ask follow-up questions.

Fit and Communication

• What kinds of clients do you typically work with?
• How often will we communicate, and in what way - calls, email, or in-person meetings?
• How do you usually get to know a new client’s goals, concerns, and values before making recommendations?

Values-Aligned Investing Experience

• What does values-aligned or impact investing mean to you?
• How did you become interested in this work?
• How would you help me translate my values into an investment approach?

Fees and Compensation

• How are you compensated?
• Are there other costs I should understand beyond your advisory fee?
• Do you receive additional compensation from any investment products you recommend?

Next Steps

• If I decide to continue the conversation, what would the next step be?
• What information would you need from me later, and why?

When You’re Ready to Go Deeper

A first meeting does not need to cover everything. Its purpose is to help you decide whether the advisor seems worth a second conversation.

If the advisor feels like a possible fit, the next step is to dig deeper. That is when you may want to ask more detailed questions about the firm, team structure, investment process, fees, conflicts, fiduciary status, custody, due diligence, and the range of values-aligned investment options they can offer.

For that next stage, use ValuesAdvisor’s Interview Guide. You do not need to ask every question in the guide. Choose the ones that fit your situation and the areas where you need more clarity before deciding whether to move forward.

After the Meeting: A Few Questions to Ask Yourself

After the meeting, take a few minutes to reflect on how the conversation felt.

• Did the advisor listen carefully and take my questions seriously?
• Did they explain things clearly?
• Did they seem comfortable discussing values-aligned or impact investing?

You do not need to decide right away. If the advisor seems promising, you can schedule a follow-up conversation and use ValuesAdvisor’s free Interview Guide to prepare for a deeper discussion.

The goal is not to find someone who says everything perfectly. The goal is to find someone who listens well, explains clearly, and has the experience to help you align your financial life with what matters to you.

Updated July 2026

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