Advisor quality

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One cost table beats five quoted percentages

A low fee does not prove value and a high fee does not prove poor advice. Five questions that reveal the amount, the recipient, the timing and what each layer buys.

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Start with the job the money must do

Product names, rankings and recent returns come later. Seven questions that get to purpose, risk, cost, access and which alternatives were considered.

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One capital number is the least useful thing to remember

A retirement conversation needs assumptions, not a reassuring target. Eight questions, and the three scenarios worth asking to see on a single page.

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Insurance promises are contractual, not conversational

The benefit name and the premium are not enough. Eight questions to test the claim definition, exclusions, ownership and what a replacement could cost you.

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A transparent incentive can be assessed, an invisible one cannot

Are you independent produces a label. How would your pay change if I chose another option produces information. Five questions that get past the word.

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A confident meeting is not evidence of capability

Ask each advisor the same questions, so the differences are real rather than the result of a stronger presentation. The seven rows worth comparing.

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Replacing a product is two decisions, not one

Whether the existing arrangement should end, and whether the new one should begin. The second does not automatically justify the first.

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The same percentage can buy very different work

Put the annual rand cost beside what you actually receive, then compare what was promised against what was delivered last year, with dates.

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A second opinion is not an accusation

Useful when a decision is high-impact, hard to reverse or not clearly understood. Give both professionals the same facts, and ask which reasoning is supported.

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One red flag is a reason to pause, not a verdict

Pressure can make a weak process feel decisive. What to check before signing, and the three signs that together mean stop and verify through official channels.

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You do not need to apologise for slowing it down

Jargon usually compresses a real trade-off. Four phrases that unpack it, and the one move that reveals misunderstanding better than does that make sense.

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Score the process, not the personality

Markets can disappoint even after thoughtful work, and a good recent return can hide weak advice. What good advice looks like while it is still happening.

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Continuity is operational planning, not a prediction of failure

Advisors retire, change firms and take leave. Where the records live, who may contact you afterwards, and whether you still get to choose.

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Do not confuse discomfort with disloyalty

You can value a long relationship while asking for current fees, written advice or a specialist's input. A polished new title does not prove superiority either.