What is an Introductory Meeting?

Our lives are so busy and we have lots of things on our “mental adulting to-do lists”, taking care of your finances is just one more thing on that list. To some it may seem too daunting to even start the task. If you’ve never worked with a financial advisor, you may not know what to expect. A great place to start is with a complimentary introductory meeting with a financial advisor. These first meetings are usually a phone call that is short in nature, 15 – 20 minutes, and are kind of “get to know you” conversation.

What does this first call with a Financial Advisor at CAM Investor Solutions look like? We’re glad you asked! We’d love to help you get any questions or anxieties out of the way so you book your first conversation. Here’s a rundown of what typically happens during an introductory meeting with your Wealth Advisor.

The Warm-Up: Getting to Know You

Many financial advisors prefer to collect detailed information from prospective clients right off the bat, even before establishing a rapport. We understand that this approach can feel somewhat invasive, especially when you’re still evaluating whether our services align with your needs. That’s why we prioritize an introductory meeting as a crucial step in building a meaningful advisor-client relationship. While every situation is unique, our general practice is to start with a ‘get-to-know-you’ session to lay the foundation for a successful partnership.

The meeting usually kicks off with some casual conversation. This is a two-way street; the advisor wants to get to know you, and you should want to get to know them. Expect questions about your career, family, and what’s important to you in life. No hard facts or data is necessary – just light conversation.

The Main Event: Discussing Your Financial Goals

Once the ice is broken, you’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of “what prompted you to seek out a financial advisor?“. The advisor will ask about your financial goals, which could range from buying a home, saving for your kids’ education, help with stock options, to planning for retirement. The more specific you are, the better. Most of the time as advisors we like to ask more questions and let you do more of the talking, but don’t forget to come with a list of your own questions.

We have included our Financial Advisor Evaluation Checklist here to help guide you with specifics you should be looking for in an advisor and firm. To find a quality advisor, it’s a good idea to have more criteria than just “I really like him/her and I think I can trust them.” Things like: what type of clients do they work with – people like me? What kind of services does the advisor provide? How are they paid? And do they have any disciplinary actions against them? These are a few considerations vital to ensuring a long term fit.

The Strategy Session: Preliminary Recommendations

Based on your financial situation and goals, the advisor may offer some initial thoughts. These could involve investment philosophy or educational information. Remember, this is preliminary data; a comprehensive financial plan will come later.

Before concluding the initial meeting, you and the CAM advisor will assess whether you wish to proceed to the next stage: the Discovery Meeting. This complementary follow-up session is where clients share more comprehensive financial documentation, allowing us to conduct a thorough analysis. Just like your doctor wants to know your health history to know what areas are a priority, the documentation you provide the advisor is confidential and helps them get a better understanding of your personal financial situation.

During the Discovery Meeting, we’ll present some initial insights and outline how our services can benefit your specific needs. It’s also at this juncture that we’ll review the fee structure and discuss the contours of our prospective working relationship, should we mutually decide to move forward. Want to know more about this next meeting? Come back to our blog next week for a blog dedicated just to the experience of the Discovery Meeting.

The Farewell: Wrapping It Up

There are no commitments with an introductory call. This is just a great way to test the waters and see if you are ready to work on your financial health. Is there more work to come after this first meeting? All progress comes with effort. And what will that look like? We will continue to outline the experience of each additional meeting and process of working with a financial advisor in subsequent blogs. To get a high level outline of our process, you can learn more on our Financial Planning Process page.

An introductory meeting with a Financial Advisor at CAM Investor Solutions is your first step toward financial security. It’s a chance for both you and the advisor to see if you’re a good fit for each other while laying the groundwork for a successful financial strategy. So go ahead, take that step. Your future self will thank you.

Disclosure

M & A Consulting Group, LLC, doing business as CAM Investor Solutions is an SEC registered investment adviser. As a fee-only firm, we do not receive commissions nor sell any insurance products. We provide financial planning and investment information that we believe to be useful and accurate. However, there cannot be any guarantees. 

This blog has been provided solely for informational purposes and does not represent investment advice. Nor does it provide an opinion regarding fairness of any transaction. It does not constitute an offer, solicitation or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security or instrument or to adopt any investment strategy.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. Tax planning and investment illustrations are provided for educational purposes and should not be considered tax advice or recommendations. Investors should seek additional advice from their financial advisor or tax professional.