For most people, managing their finances isn’t easy. There are a ton of moving parts, including everything from budgeting to saving, and from investing to retirement.
On top of that, there are literally hundreds of tools that claim to provide the answers. Budgeting apps, accounting programs, automated savings, robo-advisors… there’s no end, and it can be truly overwhelming to choose the solutions that offer what you need.
As you swim through the sea of what’s available, the most important thing to ask is what each potential solution can do for you, and whether it does what it promises to do when compared to everything else.
One potential solution that’s available is to work with a financial advisor. But how do you find one?
WiserAdvisor is a tool that can help. They offer a free advisor matching service to help you find the advisor who’s right for you without spending hours searching for the right person. The right advisor can provide the guidance you need to make smart financial decisions and reach your financial goals.
So, what is WiserAdvisor and should you use it to find an advisor to work with? Let’s find out!
Pro Tip:
WiserAdvisor connects you with a personalized local advisor that matches your needs and situation. Click here to get matched with your own personal financial advisor today!
What is WiserAdvisor?
WiserAdvisor got its start in 1998. Here’s what they have to say about their mission and what they offer users.
We are dedicated to helping consumers gain fundamental financial knowledge that may enrich their lives and also provide the tools to easily connect with qualified financial advisors near them. To empower people to choose an advisor or planner that would be the best choice for them to assist and guide them towards a clearer financial future and meet their financial goals.
In a broader sense, we would consider WiserAdvisor to also be a financial education service. On their website, they offer:
- Financial articles and blog posts
- A directory of qualified Financial Advisors in the United States
- The free matching service to help users find a Financial Advisor
- Financial calculators to help users make informed financial decisions
WiserAdvisor is a web-based service company. You can access their website and its contents using any browser and on any device.
Try WiserAdvisor now to get 2-3 free advisor matches and a free 1:1 consultation!
WiserAdvisor Features
WiserAdvisor offers several features as outlined in the previous section. Let’s do a deep dive on each to give you an idea of what to expect when you visit the website.
Financial Articles and Blog Posts
The WiserAdvisor blog has articles in several important categories, including everything from general personal finance to financial planning and retirement planning.
The library of articles is searchable, so it’s easy to find articles on any topic you choose. Some examples of recent articles include tips on how to use AI to help with money management, how working with an advisor can protect older people from fraud, the benefits of working with a qualified financial advisor, and even tips on how much insurance you need.
Financial Calculators
Many financial institutions and service providers offer free calculators to help people set and pursue their most important financial goals. WiserAdvisor is no exception. In addition to the retirement calculator shown above, they have calculators to help you do the following things.
- Compare Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Determine how inflation will impact your retirement savings
- Calculate how long it will take to reach short-term and long-term savings goals
- Estimate how much you can save for college with a 529 plan
- Calculate how retirement will affect your living expenses
Before using any calculator, make sure you understand what information you need to get an accurate answer. The calculator in the image above requires you to enter your age now and your estimated age at retirement, plus an estimate of your annual savings and how much you’ll earn on your savings.
Financial Advisor Matching Service
The Financial Advisor matching service is the cornerstone feature of WiserAdvisor. It’s a simple service that helps users find a qualified financial advisor in their area, and it has the potential to save you hours of research time as you try to wade through your options and find the right advisor for your needs.
What we appreciate most about the matching service besides the fact that it’s free is that you’re under no obligation to hire the advisors recommended by the service. You’ll get the information and you may choose to hire (or not hire) anyone that WiserAdvisor recommends. We’ll go into more detail about how the service works below.
Pro Tip:
WiserAdvisor connects you with a personalized local advisor that matches your needs and situation. Click here to get matched with your own personal financial advisor today!
Financial Advisor Directory
Some users may prefer to view a comprehensive list of experienced financial advisors in their area. WiserAdvisor has you covered.
If you click on the “Search Our Advisor Directory” in the Advisors menu on the home page, you’ll see three options to find an advisor. You can click on your state, scroll down to find advisors in a specific city, or search the database to find what you need.
How Does the Financial Advisor Matching Service Work?
Now, let’s do a deeper dive on how WiserAdvisor’s Financial Advisor Matching Service works. It’s very easy to use and requires just a few simple steps.
Step 1
Click “Get Matched to a Vetted Advisor” under the Advisors menu on the home page. You’ll get a screen that looks like this.
Simply enter your zip code to move to the next step.
All advisors who are part of the matching service are vetted and WiserAdvisor is an SEC member.
#2: Entire Your Retirement Timeline
After you enter your zip code, you’ll see a screen that looks like this:
Providing information about your retirement timeline, i.e. how long you have before you plan to retire, will help WiserAdvisor narrow your options and identify the financial advisors who are most suited to help you reach your goals.
#3: Answer Questions About Your Home and Business
The next two screens require yes/no answers. You’ll be asked to answer:
- Do you own a home?
- Do you own a business?
Again, this information helps WiserAdvisor match you with an advisor who can assist you with your specific financial situation.
#4: Report Your Household Income
The next step is to report your household income. WiserAdvisor needs to get a rough idea of how much you make since some financial advisors specialize in working with people at specific income levels.
#5: Report Your Portfolio Size
The next step is providing the approximate size of your portfolio. Here again, some advisors have a minimum AUM (assets under management) requirement, and providing information about your portfolio will help match you with the right advisor.
#6: Your Advisor Requirements
The next two questions are simple and focus on what you need from an advisor. Here’s the rundown.
- Do you currently have an advisor?
- Does your advisor need to be within commuting distance?
You can choose from local, non-local, or no preference for the second question.
#7: Provide Your Email Address
The final step is to provide your email address, so that WiserAdvisor can email you your financial advisor matches and you can take it from there!
As you can see, the process is simple and takes just a few minutes to complete. Compare that to spending long hours sifting through Google search results and trying to figure out which advisors match your needs. And, as we’ve mentioned already, it’s completely free!
Try WiserAdvisor’s free matching service now!
Is WiserAdvisor’s Matching Service Right for You?
It’s time to answer the burning question: is WiserAdvisor’s Advisor Matching Service right for you?
Pro Tip:
WiserAdvisor connects you with a personalized local advisor that matches your needs and situation. Click here to get matched with your own personal financial advisor today!
Reviews
Reviewers have raved about both WiserAdvisor and the financial advisors they’ve found through the matching service. Here’s a sample.
With over 300 reviews as of this writing, WiserAdvisor has a 4.1 star rating from TrustPilot, with most users giving either 4 or 5 stars. Some unhappy reviewers mentioned that they didn’t find advisors in their area, and some mentioned getting too many emails. However, most said they were happy and were able to narrow their choices by calling the recommended advisors.
Cost
We always include cost as a factor when evaluating websites, apps, and services. As we have already noted, WiserAdvisor is free to use. There’s no obligation to work with any of the recommended advisors.
Ease of Use
We found WiserAdvisor’s matching service to be extremely easy to use. All you need to do is answer a few quick questions, a process that can take as little as five minutes if you have the necessary information at hand.
Free 1:1 Consultation
The one thing we haven’t mentioned yet is that you’ll get a free, 1:1 consultation with one of your matched advisors. We consider this to be an extremely helpful benefit. So much of choosing a financial advisor is about making a personal connection. You’ll be most likely to form a lasting bond if you understand and connect with one another, and the free consultation allows for that.
Conclusion
WiserAdvisor meets a specific and common need for people who are concerned about managing their money and reaching their most important personal finance goals.
It’s a simple service, but one that can have a huge impact on your life, both personally and financially.
What makes WiserAdvisor compelling is that it’s a free service that anybody can access, and it solves a specific problem and does it well.
If you’re interested in seeing what WiserAdvisor can do for you, click here to begin the matching process and find your financial advisor!
