Insights

Questions serious investors ask before choosing an advisor.

Educational guidance for people comparing financial advisors, organizing liquidity, investing in the United States, or deciding what kind of planning relationship they need.

Advisor selection

How to evaluate a financial advisor in Miami.

A sophisticated website is not enough. Before hiring an advisor, investors should ask direct questions about compensation, conflicts, custody, scope, investment process, and regulatory history.

Are you acting as a fiduciary under the advisory relationship?

Ask how the duty applies, what services are included, and whether recommendations are documented.

How are you paid?

Understand advisory fees, product commissions, referral compensation, and other material conflicts.

Where are assets held?

Ask whether your assets are held at an independent custodian and how you receive statements.

What happens beyond the portfolio?

Planning often includes taxes, estate documents, insurance, business interests, and family priorities. Ask how coordination works.

Liquidity question

I have $1M+ in the bank. What should I do?

Before investing, the first step is usually not choosing a fund. It is defining what the cash is for, what cannot be put at risk, what tax or estate planning questions exist, and how quickly capital should be deployed.

Separate emergency reserves, tax reserves, planned purchases, and long-term capital.
Review time horizon, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and income needs.
Coordinate with tax and legal professionals when entity or estate questions are involved.
Build a written investment policy before implementation.

International clients

Owning U.S. assets as a foreigner can change the planning conversation.

Non-U.S. persons who own U.S. real estate, brokerage accounts, private interests, or other U.S.-situated assets may face U.S. tax, estate, reporting, and account-structure considerations. South Florida property can be valuable, but it may also create U.S. estate tax exposure for nonresident noncitizens.

Financial planning before portfolio implementation.
Estate planning coordination for U.S.-situated assets.
Liquidity, currency, and family governance considerations.

Fee-only fiduciary advice

The difference between advice and distribution matters.

A fee-only advisory model does not remove every conflict, but it is designed to reduce the conflict created when compensation depends on selling a product. A fiduciary advisory relationship should still disclose material conflicts and explain costs, risks, and alternatives.

Question

Do you receive commissions?

Ask whether the firm or representative receives commissions, trails, or other compensation from products.

Question

What conflicts remain?

All advisory relationships can have conflicts. The question is whether they are clearly disclosed and addressed.

Question

What is not included?

Tax and legal advice should come from qualified professionals. A good advisor coordinates rather than pretending every discipline is the same.

Reading because a real decision is coming?

Turn the question into a review list.

If cash, taxes, U.S. assets, or advisor fit are becoming real decisions, ask what should be organized first.

Ask a private question

Have a specific decision in front of you?

We can help determine whether it belongs in a planning engagement, an investment management relationship, or a conversation with your tax or legal professional.

Schedule a Consultation