What kind of help fits the job? Compare planning, investing, tax, legal, and insurance routes from your answers. Then verify the exact provider, written scope, fee schedule, product or account costs, duties, and exit terms before committing.
Start with the job: a financial plan, investment management, help with money habits, or a tax, legal, or insurance question. Compare what each route includes, what you would still do yourself, and the exact written charges and exit terms before deciding whom to contact.
The landscape — Planning, managing investments, preparing a tax return, drafting legal documents, and placing insurance are different jobs. A title or service bundle does not tell you which work is included. Ask for the scope, the person responsible, and any outside specialists in writing.
Compare the work and the bill — Compare current proposals and disclosures for the same written job. Add every advice, investment, account, product, implementation, specialist, renewal, transfer, and exit charge before comparing routes. A one-time plan, an annual retainer, and ongoing portfolio management are not interchangeable just because each has a price.
Pay, duty, and credentials are separate — Fee-only describes compensation; fiduciary describes a duty. Neither label by itself verifies the person, the work included, or the value of a proposal. Check the relevant registration or credential record, ask which duty applies to this engagement, and read the compensation and conflict disclosures.
What your answers change — Your needs and preferences help order broad routes; your hard lines can remove some. The access signal is illustrative, not a check of current provider capacity or your eligibility. Use the cards to prepare a comparison, then verify an actual service before hiring, enrolling, or moving money.
All 13 options. Add anything above to rank them for you.
Ongoing financial planning for a fixed annual fee; you keep account control and agree who handles implementation.
Full planning without handing over the portfolio · Planner advises; you implement and keep account control · Fixed retainer for a written scope · Written scope, capacity, and client-fit policy · Annual flat fee vs one-time and hourly planning
Ongoing portfolio management for an asset-based fee; confirm the adviser’s duty, authority, planning scope, and conflicts.
Ongoing management for a complex portfolio · Adviser manages within agreed authority; you set goals and scope · Asset-based advisory fee plus other costs · Firm minimum, service scope, and waiver policy · AUM management vs flat-fee advice + DIY
Time-billed advice from a CFP professional on a specific financial question; agree on preparation, follow-up, and hours before booking.
One bounded decision or a DIY second opinion · Planner answers; you implement the decision · Time billed; scope controls the total · Question fit, time estimate, and booking capacity · Hourly scope vs one-time comprehensive plan
A written financial plan for a fixed project fee; check who implements it and what later updates cost.
A full written plan without ongoing management · Planner delivers the plan; you carry it out · Project fee tied to defined deliverables · Deliverables, follow-up, and project capacity · One-time plan vs annual flat-fee planning
Automated portfolio selection and rebalancing; compare account rules, total costs, and access to human help.
Simple investing that benefits from automation · Software invests and rebalances; you fund and monitor · Advisory or subscription fee plus fund costs · Account eligibility, balance rules, and feature tier · Robo fee + features vs DIY fund and hybrid
Automated investing with access to a human planner; check the credential, meeting limits, and advice included in your tier.
Automation plus occasional human judgment · Software manages; a planner handles judgment calls · Bundled advice tier plus investment costs · Balance rule and actual planner access · Hybrid tier vs robo + hourly planner
A team coordinating complex financial work; confirm which specialists, services, and costs the relationship actually includes.
High-complexity households needing one coordinator · Team coordinates specialists; you approve strategy · Retainer or asset fee plus specialist costs · Private-client minimum and service fit · Private-client team vs independent specialist stack
Retirement-plan guidance available through an employer; check what is included and whether managed-account help costs extra.
Retirement questions inside one employer plan · Plan service advises; you make the plan elections · Plan-bundled or participant-level charges · Plan eligibility and available service tier · Plan service vs robo or DIY fund
Help with cash flow, debt, and money habits; agree on goals, session costs, credentials, and the limits of the service.
Cash-flow, debt, and follow-through support · Coach builds accountability; you change the habits · Session/package price or eligible benefit · Scope, benefit eligibility, and availability · Coach vs nonprofit counselor or hourly planner
You choose and fund a target-date fund that adjusts its investment mix; check its risk, fees, and account availability.
Simple finances with strong DIY follow-through · Fund rebalances; you choose, fund, and stay invested · Fund and account expenses · Account menu, fund fit, and purchase rules · DIY fund vs robo or periodic hourly check
Tax preparation or planning from a tax professional; verify the credential and agree which work the engagement covers.
Tax work beyond a simple return · Tax pro prepares or plans; you supply records and decide · Return or planning fee tied to forms and scope · Jurisdiction, service scope, season, and capacity · Preparation-only vs proactive tax-planning scope
State-specific legal advice and estate documents; agree who handles drafting, funding, retitling, and follow-up.
State-specific documents and estate coordination · Attorney drafts; you complete the implementation · Legal fee tied to drafting and implementation scope · State license, matter fit, conflicts, and capacity · Drafting package vs advice + funding support
Help comparing and placing coverage; verify the license, carrier access, compensation, and policy terms before applying.
Coverage gaps that need carrier comparison · Agent shops and places; you validate the need and choose · Premium embeds insurer and producer compensation · State license, carrier panel, and underwriting · Broker quotes vs fee-only needs review
Your ranked needs and other selected answers provide the evidence for Help fit. Hard lines and broad asset or fee-cap rules can remove routes; this is not a review of a firm or your accounts.
The illustrative access signal uses authored route assumptions and limited profile adjustments. It does not check live minimums, provider capacity, eligibility, or approval.
Compare current proposals and disclosures for the same written job. Add every advice, investment, account, product, implementation, specialist, renewal, transfer, and exit charge before comparing routes.
Use each card’s compare, keep-or-remove, commitment, and evidence actions in order. Verify current records and written terms before hiring, funding, enrolling, applying, or sharing records.
Scores are computed instantly in your browser. Your answers are saved to your account only if you sign in; otherwise they stay on this device.
Compare routes, then verify the actual service. Educational only—not investment, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Check credentials, duty, conflicts, eligibility, written scope, total costs, and exit terms before committing. Scores are computed in your browser; answers are saved to your account only if you sign in.