Blog Summary:
When looking for a financial advisor:
- Start with trust: choose a true advisor (not just a product-selling representative), prioritize a fiduciary relationship, and look for clear, transparent communication.
- Follow a simple process: define your needs and goals, build a Vegas-focused shortlist, and confirm local fluency with seasonal income, taxes, real estate, and retiree/entrepreneur nuances.
- Verify qualifications and duty of care: confirm CFP®/CFA® (and RIA status) via official directories, request Form ADV, and check FINRA BrokerCheck for disclosures or disciplinary history.
- Understand costs and fit: clarify fee model (fee-only, AUM, hourly, flat), then ask targeted questions on services, typical clients, investment philosophy, meeting cadence, and fiduciary status.
- Do a quick “test drive,” trust your gut, and watch for red flags (evasion, product-pushing, guarantees, opaque fees); sleep on it, compare proposals, and choose the advisor who earns your confidence.
Choosing the right financial advisor isn’t just about performance. It’s about integrity, credentialing, experience, and fit. Some advisors are more prescriptive; others act more like trusted partners. Likewise, some advisors have short, to-the-point communication styles; others are more long-winded and provide lots of context. The point is, it’s important to consider the kind of person you’re hiring to advise you holistically.
It’s also important to understand the difference between financial advisors and financial representatives. Here’s a quick primer if you need it: financial representatives sell products for a company, while financial advisors build comprehensive plans aligned to your financial goals.
With that said, let’s dive deeper into the qualities of a financial advisor you should look for when looking for a financial or wealth advisor in Vegas or the surrounding areas. We’ll also cover some of the top questions to ask your financial advisor and talk about the important industry credentials you should be aware of.
Why Trust Matters
When you hire a financial advisor, you’re sharing intimate details about your life savings, future goals, and other private information. If you can’t trust your advisor in general, how can you expect to trust them with these details? You can’t. That’s why a trustworthy advisor is so crucial.
A financial advisor who is trustworthy is transparent, clear about costs, and puts your interests – not a trendy stock pick or product quota – first.
For more information on the risks of conflicted or low-quality financial advice, see our blog post “Do You Need a Financial Advisor: 5 Things to Ask About”.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Find a Financial Advisor in Las Vegas You Can Trust
Truthfully, this guide is applicable whether or not you live in Vegas! We hope you find it helpful in breaking down exactly what you need to know and do in your hunt for a trustworthy advisor to help you make (dollars and) sense of your finances.
1. Define Your Needs Before You Start Your Search
It’s important to get clear about your financial needs and goals before you start searching for the right advisor. After all, even the best advisor can only guide you within the parameters of your resources and needs.
So list your goals (whether they relate to retirement timeline, tax efficiency, cash-flow planning, estate and trust, or business planning). If you’re a business owner, you’ll likely want to find a financial advisor in Las Vegas who is fluent in entrepreneur-specific challenges like seasonal income, growth planning, and separating personal from business finances.
2. Know the Advisor Types (And Who’s a Fiduciary)
Make sure to confirm whether any financial advisor you’re interested in working with is a fiduciary – someone who is legally obligated to put your interests first. This is a core trust signal that many expert roundups echo the importance of. If they’re not a fiduciary 100% of the time? Move on.
3. Verify Each Advisor’s Credentials
For any advisor with which you hope to work, verify their credentials. There are many credentials for financial advisors worth knowing, so be sure to shortlist advisors with recognized designations (validated via official databases):
- CFP® (comprehensive financial planning) → CFP Board Verify
- CFA® (portfolio/investment depth) → CFA Institute Directory
- Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) → firm/individual subject to fiduciary standards
4. Build a Vegas-Focused Shortlist
Search locally with your unique needs in mind. For more complex cases, consider also including a few wealth managers in Las Vegas, Nevada, too. Seasoned wealth advisors can integrate taxes, investments, estate planning, and business strategy into their advisement services.
5. Do a Background Check
Ask for Form ADV and run a look for any disclosures/discipline on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
6. Clarify How the Advisor Will Collect Their Fee
How do they get paid? Fee-only, fee-based, commission? AUM? Hourly? Flat? Make any advisor you want to work with explain how you would be paying them were you to work with them. Have them break it all down in plain English and preferably, show you an example bill.
Experian’s checklist for what to ask your financial advisor underscores the importance of doing this for good reason. You don’t want any surprises down the road!
7. Ask Targeted Questions
Borrow liberally from Experian’s question list and pull from your situation and needs, too.
Here are just a few questions worth asking a potential financial advisor in Vegas who you might see yourself working with:
- Are you a fiduciary—at all times?
- How do you get paid?
- What services do you provide beyond investments?
- Who is your typical client?
- What’s your investment philosophy?
- How often will we meet? How do you communicate during volatility?
- Are there currently or have there ever been any disciplinary actions against you?
Don’t just listen to what they say, listen to how they say it, too. Trust your gut.
8. Test-Drive the Relationship
Request a short plan outline or a 90-day relationship roadmap. Expect clarity on things like investments, cash-flow, taxes, risk management, and any pressing action items. If you’re a founder, ask them how they’ll coordinate business nd personal finances.
9. Sleep on it, Then Decide
A good advisor won’t rush you. So take all the time you need to make a choice. Re-read proposals. Compare fees and scope. Choose the advisor who communicates in a way that best matches your needs, discloses conflicts, and earns your confidence and trust.
Red Flags When Working with a Financial Advisor
If an advisor shows signs of any of the following, move onto someone else:
- Vague or evasive answers
- Product pushing or “guaranteed” returns
- No recognizable credentials / unverifiable background
- Opaque or shifting fee explanations
The Bottom Line
If you follow the above steps, ask the right questions, and trust your read on the advisor’s clarity and transparency, you’ll set yourself up better than probably 90% of people who pick the first advisor they’re referred to.
Still weighing whether to DIY your financial future or enlist the help of a seasoned professional? Get in touch now.
Looking specifically for someone to help you choose an annuity in Arizona or Nevada? One of our annuity advisors can help.
Stewart Willis is the founder and president of Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax, a financial planning firm in Phoenix, Arizona. Investment advisory services offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser.
The commentary on this blog reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the author, Stewart Willis, providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC (“Foundations”), an SEC registered investment adviser or performance returns of any Foundations client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice. Nothing on this website constitutes investment, legal or tax advice, performance data or any recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Personal investment advice can only be rendered after the engagement of Foundations for services, execution of required documentation, including receipt of required disclosures. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Foundations manages its clients’ accounts using a variety of investment techniques and strategies, which are not necessarily discussed in the commentary. Any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources that Foundations deems reliable but in no way does Foundations guarantee the accuracy or completeness. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Any past performance is no guarantee of future results. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Foundations and its advisors are properly licensed or exempted. For more information, please go to https://adviserinfo.sec.gov and search by our firm name or by our CRD # 175083.
