How much flexibility should I keep while choosing a financial advisor?

For this planning decision, start by identifying whether the professional and firm are acting as an investment adviser, broker dealer, insurance producer, or in more than one role. For this planning decision, a major life event is a good reason to pause large irreversible decisions until taxes, insurance, and cash needs are clear. When the options are compared, for couples, survivor needs and access to cash can matter as much as the expected return on the investment itself.