1. Am I on track to achieve my financial goals, and what could prevent me from getting there?

Clients should understand whether their current savings, investments, spending, and future income are sufficient to support their desired lifestyle, retirement, and family goals. 

2. If I die, become disabled, or experience a major health event, will my family and financial plan be protected?

Clients should evaluate income replacement, outstanding debts, education expenses, business obligations, caregiving costs, and the financial impact of losing a primary earner. 

3. Am I taking the right amount of investment risk for my goals, time horizon, and financial situation?

A portfolio should reflect both a client's willingness and financial ability to tolerate losses, not simply recent market performance or a target return. 

4. How tax-efficient is my overall financial strategy?

Clients should ask about asset location, capital gains, retirement account distributions, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and the tax implications of insurance and investment decisions. Tax strategies should be coordinated with a qualified tax professional. 

5. Do my existing insurance policies still meet my needs, and am I paying appropriately for the coverage I have?

Clients should review coverage amounts, policy ownership, beneficiaries, exclusions, premiums, renewal terms, and—where applicable—cash value, guarantees, and policy sustainability. 

6. Are my investments properly diversified, and what happens if markets decline significantly?

Clients should understand concentration risk, exposure to individual stocks and sectors, liquidity needs, correlation among holdings, and how their portfolio might behave in different market environments. 

7. If something happened to me tomorrow, would my estate plan transfer my wealth to the right people in the right way?

Clients should review wills, trusts, account registrations, insurance beneficiaries, powers of attorney, and potential estate tax exposure with their appropriate legal and tax professionals. 

8. Am I making the most of my retirement, executive benefits, and business planning opportunities?

Clients should examine employer retirement plans, deferred compensation, equity awards, pension options, business succession, and strategies for converting wealth into sustainable retirement income. 

9. Are my financial advisor, insurance professional, attorney, and CPA working together on one coordinated strategy?

Investment, insurance, tax, and estate decisions can affect one another. Coordinated advice helps identify gaps, conflicting strategies, unnecessary costs, and opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked. 

10. What should I be doing today to improve my financial position over the next 5, 10, and 20 years?

Clients should leave every review with clear priorities, measurable next steps, assigned responsibilities, and a schedule for revisiting their plan as their circumstances change.