What does a financial advisor do?

The term “financial advisor” is fairly broad. There’s no regulation of the term, so any number of professionals can call themselves financial advisors. Like the titles financial planner, financial consultant, financial coach and wealth advisor, there are no uniform requirements to be considered a financial advisor.

For the most part, though, a financial advisor is someone who can guide you as you make decisions about your money.

“Financial advisors, by whatever title they go by, can help you set goals and create a plan to reach your objectives,” says Roger Wohlner, a financial advisor based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. “A financial advisor can also help you adjust your plan as things change, and might be able to help you with specific planning issues like taxes, retirement, college or business.”

Different professionals use the term whether they’re selling insurance, managing a portfolio of assets or creating a comprehensive financial plan.

What types of financial advisors are there?

When considering who to work with, Pam Krueger, the founder and CEO of Wealthramp, a platform that vets financial advisors and matches them with clients, suggests worrying less about the title used and instead paying attention to the services offered.

“You also need to understand how they get paid and whether they’re a fiduciary,” Krueger says. “A fiduciary is required to provide advice that is in your best interest. Other advisors, such as those who sell insurance or other products, might not be fiduciaries and instead make part of their money based on commissions.”

Krueger points out that there’s nothing wrong with working with a financial advisor who makes money on commissions.

“Just because they’re getting paid as a result of making a sale doesn’t mean that they can’t provide good advice,” Krueger continues. “However, it’s important for you to have information to understand the difference between getting actual advice and the possibility that you’re sitting through a sales pitch.”

Before working with someone, Krueger suggests confirming that they are a fiduciary financial advisor and getting it in writing that they will make recommendations based on your best financial interest, regardless of whether it helps them earn a little extra money.

What credentials should you look for in a financial advisor?

While credentials can be a good starting point when vetting a financial advisor, Wohlner agrees with Krueger that finding a fiduciary financial advisor should be the top priority.

“Whether someone is a fiduciary matters more than the letters behind their name,” Wohlner says. “Pay attention to experience and education as well. Find out if they have experience in some of the specific areas you need help with.”

Even though credentials aren’t the final arbiter of whether a financial advisor is a good choice, some certifications might indicate a high level of education and a commitment to ongoing professional development in the financial industry.

Krueger suggests prioritizing the following:

• Certified financial planner (CFP): These advisors have to complete financial planning courses that include basic information on investing and tax planning. A CFP must pass a comprehensive exam and take ongoing education credits to maintain their certification through the CFP Board.
• Chartered financial analyst (CFA): Issued by the CFA Institute, this designation requires advisors to fulfill specific work experience requirements, complete courses and pass three exams. The focus is on investment analysis, portfolio management and wealth management. CFA professionals must maintain membership with the CFA Institute.
• Certified public accountant (CPA): If you’re concerned about taxes and other related financial matters, working with an advisor who is also a CPA might make sense. CPA requirements (often including education and exam specifics) are typically set by the individual state.

Other designations that require education and experience, and that might be useful in terms of ensuring that a financial advisor has received training and practice, include:

• Accredited financial counselor (AFC): Requires experience hours and an education course, as well as passing an exam. To remain credentialed, an advisor must meet ongoing education requirements set forth by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. It’s also a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra)-accredited designation.
• Chartered financial consultant (ChFC): To become this type of financial consultant financial planning courses are required, including some that are specialized, as well as ongoing education and adherence to the ethics standards set forth by the American College of Financial Services.
• Registered investment adviser (RIA): Registered investment advisers are those who meet specific requirements set by the state or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). When a certain level of assets under management is reached, an RIA must register with the SEC. You can generally check into violations and judgments using Finra BrokerCheck. 

While you can receive good advice without the credentials, they can provide you with peace of mind as you choose a financial advisor.

How do financial advisor fee structures work?

The cost of a financial advisor varies based on how they earn money and the fee structure involved.

First, it’s important to understand how a financial advisor is paid. There are three main models that a financial advisor might use:

• Commission: A financial advisor who doesn’t receive money directly from you is usually making money from commissions for selling financial products. This might be common among brokers and insurance agents.
• Fee-only: Fee-only financial advisors make their money exclusively from fees clients pay. You’re less likely to run into conflicts of interest with a fee-only advisor, Krueger says, because their bottom line isn’t influenced by whether you buy certain financial products or services.
• Fee-based: Krueger says it’s important to understand the distinction between fee-only and fee-based financial advisors. A fee-based advisor or planner uses a hybrid model. They might charge a fee for planning and guidance, or asset management, but they might also receive commissions. 

While you don’t need to automatically assume someone earning commissions is providing poor advice, Wohlner points out, you do need to be aware of the potential conflicts and choose accordingly.

Financial advisor fee structures

If you select a financial advisor who charges a fee, consider the structure they choose. Typically, you want to work with someone whose fee structure matches your budget and style. Some common ways that financial advisors charge clients include:

• Assets under management (AUM): Your financial advisor charges you based on the assets they manage on your behalf, expressed as an annual percentage. This is common with wealth managers and advisors who handle investments. As your assets increase, your fees also increase. For example, if you have $200,000 assets under management at 1%, you pay $2,000 a year. Later, when your portfolio grows to $500,000, you pay $5,000 a year.
• Retainer: Rather than charging based on your portfolio size, a financial advisor might charge a set fee paid monthly, quarterly or annually. The advisor should tell you how many check-ins you have during the year and what services, such as financial planning or reviews, are included in the annual retainer.
• Subscription: Similar to a retainer, some financial advisors charge a subscription or membership fee. You pay monthly or quarterly and have access to a suite of services or online tools to help you manage your money. In many cases, your subscription level determines how many meetings you have and what guidance you receive. There might be an onboarding cost with a subscription model.
• Hourly: Instead of charging based on services, you’re charged based on an hourly rate. You can choose this option if you want to have more one-on-one advice and services, and pay only based on the time you use.
• Fixed: Some financial advisors have a set fee list based on the service you receive. They might have a pricing list for a comprehensive financial plan, check-in, college plan, financial review or other services.

How to find and vet a financial advisor

When looking for a financial advisor, consider starting with a vetted network. Krueger says that she vets all the financial advisors in the Wealthramp network and that they only recommend fiduciary financial advisors. Other networks that offer access to advisors include Advisor.com, a Buy Side financial partner, XY Planning Network and NAPFA.

Some networks offer a questionnaire that can help narrow down your choices. Others can help you find a financial advisor located near you if that’s important to you, or you can work with someone remotely.

Once you have some options from a trusted network or platform, schedule discovery sessions with two to four financial advisors. Wohlner points out that many advisors will have a brief initial session with you to see if you’re a good fit.

When you have your initial meeting with each, assess their values, approach and whether their fee structure matches your budget and needs. Compare the answers you receive and decide who you’re most comfortable working with.

Key questions to ask a prospective financial advisor

When you have a discovery session with a financial advisor, ask questions that can help you understand how they work and whether they would be compatible with your financial approach and needs. Some of the questions Wohlner and Krueger suggest asking include:

• Are you a fiduciary? Start by finding out whether they are a fiduciary, and ask whether they act as a fiduciary all the time.
• How are you compensated? Be informed about whether an advisor receives commissions for sales on top of fees or other income.
• What is your fee structure? Find out how the advisor charges for advice and what services the fee encompasses, as well as how many one-on-one sessions you receive based on the fee.
• Do you have any credentials? Ask about their credentials and whether they remain up-to-date to maintain them.
• What is your background and education? Credentials might not be as important as their education and experience. Find out if they have a relevant background that might be of benefit to you, even if they don’t have letters following their name.
• How much experience do you have? Find out how long they’ve been helping people with their finances and whether they have experience with the help you need. For example, if you’re struggling with debt and saving for retirement, find out if your advisor has experience with debt reduction planning on top of retirement planning.

Pay attention to how the advisor interacts with you and how comfortable you are with them. Verify that they listen to you and understand your needs as you determine who you should work with.

Should I choose a fiduciary or a broker-dealer?

Broker-dealers are financial professionals or firms that buy and sell securities for their own accounts and on behalf of their clients. You might see them simply referred to as brokers. 

Broker-dealers aren’t held to a fiduciary standard, but they are required to make recommendations that are in your best interest. Broker-dealers earn commission when they buy or sell investments on your behalf, introducing a conflict of interest into the advisor-client relationship.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t work with a broker-dealer. In fact, some advisors are registered as both a broker-dealer and an RIA. In these cases, it’s important to be aware of which role the advisor is filling when you work with them. If they’re acting as an RIA, they’re held to a fiduciary standard, but if they’re acting as a broker, they only have to recommend products that are suitable for your situation. 

Many of the larger investment firms, such as Charles Schwab or Fidelity, offer both brokerage and advisory services. 

What if my advisor isn’t meeting my needs?

If your current advisor isn’t the right fit, you might want to consider changing financial advisors. First, though, it could be worth having a meeting with them to see if you’re able to improve your relationship and clear up issues that could be caused by miscommunication.

If you come away from that meeting ready to find someone new, make a note of the ways you weren’t satisfied with the relationship and use that information to help you find the best financial advisor for your needs. Once you’ve chosen a new advisor, they should be able to help facilitate the transfer of your assets to their firm if needed.

How do fiduciary standards protect you?

Fiduciary advisors are required to put your best interest ahead of their own. This means that they can’t recommend products or financial plans that aren’t suitable for you because it would earn them a larger payout.

However, remember that some advisors can switch between a role that requires them to act as a fiduciary, like an RIA, and one where they aren’t held to that same standard, like a broker-dealer. Ultimately, it’s up to you to find an advisor you trust to help you make the best decisions with your money.

Un informe privado reveló que los monoambientes lideran los incrementos de precio en el mercado inmobiliario porteño. Los motivos del fenómeno

20/02/2026 – 17:22hs

El mercado de alquileres en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires atraviesa un escenario de reconfiguración permanente tras los cambios normativos y la dinámica inflacionaria. Sin embargo, un dato reciente encendió las alarmas entre los inquilinos más jóvenes y aquellos que buscan vivir solos: las unidades de menor superficie son las que registran las subas más agresivas. Según los últimos relevamientos del sector, los departamentos de un solo ambiente quedaron en el centro de la escena debido a una demanda que no da tregua y una oferta que, aunque creció, no logra contener los valores de entrada.

Esta tendencia marca una brecha notable respecto a lo que sucede con las viviendas de dos o tres ambientes, que si bien no son ajenas a los aumentos, muestran una curva de ascenso un tanto más moderada en términos porcentuales. La combinación de una ubicación estratégica en barrios con alta conectividad y la necesidad de reducir gastos fijos -como expensas o servicios- empuja a una gran parte de la población hacia los monoambientes, generando un efecto de cuello de botella que los propietarios y las inmobiliarias capitalizan con contratos iniciales cada vez más elevados.

En los barrios que tradicionalmente concentran la mayor oferta de unidades pequeñas, como Palermo, Caballito y Recoleta, los precios de lista alcanzaron pisos históricos. Para quienes hoy intentan independizarse o renovar un contrato en la Capital Federal, el desafío no es solo encontrar disponibilidad, sino afrontar requisitos financieros que, en el caso de las unidades mínimas, están proporcionalmente mucho más desajustados con respecto al salario promedio de lo que estaban hace apenas un año.

Los datos fueron aportados por el Centro de Estudios Económicos y Sociales Scalabrini Ortiz, y marca que los incrementos promedio de las viviendas de un ambiente fue cercado al 37.5% anual, mientras que las unidades de dos ambietes subieron un 30% y las de tres un 28.6%.

Los motivos detrás del encarecimiento de los monoambientes en CABA

El principal factor que explica por qué los departamentos más chicos son los que más suben tiene nombre y apellido: demanda inelástica. Se trata de unidades buscadas principalmente por estudiantes del interior del país, trabajadores jóvenes y personas separadas, un público que suele priorizar la ubicación por sobre los metros cuadrados. Al ser la puerta de entrada al mercado de vivienda, la competencia por estas unidades es feroz. Cuando un monoambiente sale al mercado a un precio competitivo, suele reservarse en cuestión de horas, lo que permite que los nuevos ingresos se tasen con valores cada vez más altos ante la certeza de que habrá un interesado dispuesto a pagar.

Otro elemento clave en este fenómeno es el costo de mantenimiento. En un contexto de subas tarifarias y aumentos en las expensas por paritarias de encargados de edificios, los departamentos chicos representan un refugio para el bolsillo en el mediano plazo, a pesar del alto costo inicial del alquiler. Esto genera que mucha gente que antes buscaba un dos ambientes hoy se vuelque a un monoambiente para compensar los gastos fijos mensuales. Esta migración de la demanda hacia abajo presiona los precios del escalón más bajo de la pirámide inmobiliaria, haciendo que la diferencia de precio entre un ambiente y dos ambientes sea cada vez menor en zonas críticas de la Ciudad.

Impacto por barrios: dónde es más caro alquilar hoy

El mapa de precios en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires muestra disparidades marcadas, pero el fenómeno del aumento en unidades chicas es transversal. Palermo sigue liderando el ranking de los barrios más costosos, donde un monoambiente puede superar ampliamente el promedio de la ciudad si cuenta con amenities o una ubicación cercana a polos gastronómicos y de transporte. Por otro lado, barrios como Villa Crespo o Chacarita, que antes eran alternativas económicas, han visto cómo sus precios se equipararon rápidamente a los de las zonas más exclusivas debido al efecto derrame y la gentrificación.

Por el contrario, en zonas como Constitución, Flores o Balvanera, aunque los valores nominales son más bajos, el porcentaje de aumento en los departamentos más chicos también fue superior al de las unidades familiares. Mientras el mercado se autorregula tras la derogación de la Ley de Alquileres, la realidad de los contratos diarios muestra que la libertad de pactar entre partes sigue favoreciendo, en el segmento de baja superficie, a una suba que parece no tener techo en el corto plazo.

Pros explained

• Capital to meet business needs: Use the loan for various purposes, including payroll, inventory, rent, equipment and other business-related costs.
• Maintain company ownership: With a business loan, you don’t promise a portion of your profits as you do with equity financing. You maintain full company ownership and control.
• Can build a separate credit profile for your business: Some lenders report to business credit agencies, providing a way for your company to establish a separate profile and score.

Cons explained

• Repayment costs: Debt typically has costs in the form of interest charges and/or fees, increasing overall expenses.
• Increases your business debt burden: Your business loan is reported on your balance sheet, which can affect your business’s financial stability and cash flow.
• Can impact your personal credit if you default: Many business lenders require a personal guarantee, meaning the creditor can come after your personal assets if you default on the debt. Additionally, a default might be reported on your personal credit report.

How to compare small business loans

A good business loan should help you meet your goals while being affordable. Compare three to five of the best small-business loan lenders to determine which might be the best fit for your needs.

As you compare business loans, keep these factors in mind:

Rates

Comparing business loan interest rates can be challenging because many lenders use a factor rate, which is expressed as a decimal instead of a percentage. 

A factor rate is multiplied by your original loan amount to determine the total amount you repay. These rates are often used for short-term loans and revenue-based financing. Factor rates of 1.0 to 1.5 are common. They can translate into relatively high APRs, however. 

Eligibility requirements

You often need to demonstrate that you’ve been in business for a set period and generate a certain amount of revenue. For example, you might have to be in business for one year and generate $10,000 in monthly revenue. 

Determine whether you meet the criteria and if you might have a better chance of qualifying for one loan instead of another.

Repayment terms

Most business loans are short term, meaning you must repay them within two years. Some lines of credit require repayment in as little as 12 months. Compare maximum repayment terms to determine whether you might have a more flexible timeline with one lender versus another.

Funding amount

Verify that the lenders you compare can meet your capital needs. Some lenders offer as much as $1.5 million, while others might offer only $250,000. 

Reports to business credit bureau

If you hope to build your business credit separate from your personal credit, you need a business credit report. A lender that reports to a business credit bureau can help you establish a credit history that can qualify you for more funding at better rates later.

How to get a small-business loan

Before you apply for a business loan, ensure you have the required information available. You’re likely to receive a quicker decision and faster funding when everything is ready to go.

• Business information: Know how long your business has been active, its annual and monthly revenue and your employer identification number. If you have a business bank account, have that information readily available.
• Bank statements: Many small-business loan lenders require at least three months of business bank statements.
• Tax return information: If you have Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) documents, have them available, along with your personal tax return.
• Personal information: As with any loan, you need your Social Security number, address, phone number and other identifying information. 

If your business lender offers a phone number you can call to connect with a specialist, use it to determine the additional documentation you might need.

Once you’re approved, provide your business bank account information to receive the funds and begin repaying the loan.

Alternatives to small-business loans

You don’t need to get a business loan to fund your small business or expand your offerings. If you can’t qualify for a business loan or if you’re concerned about the cost, consider these options:

• Small-business credit card: In some cases, you might be able to get a business credit card before qualifying for a loan. Consider using a business credit card for smaller purchases and recurring bills. If the credit card issuer reports to a business credit bureau, good habits might help you qualify for a business loan later.
• Crowdfunding: See if you can get people in your network to help you fund your business. By offering non-monetary incentives, such as a product, you might be able to raise enough money to take your small business to the next level.
• Friends and family: Consider whether you can borrow what you need from a friend or family member or if they’re willing to provide the capital for your business idea or expansion.
• Personal loan: In some cases, you might be able to access better terms with a personal loan. Costs might be lower, and you could have a longer repayment period with smaller monthly obligations, especially if you have good credit.