What to Expect in Your First Meeting
What to Expect in Your First Meeting with a Financial Advisor
Whether you are starting a new job, saving for a home, repaying debts, looking to make better financial decisions, or planning retirement, speaking with a financial advisor can be a great starting point. But if this is your first time meeting with a financial advisor, it’s normal to feel uncertain of the process. What will the meeting involve? Do you need to prepare anything? What should you bring?
This blog will walk through what to expect during your first meeting, often called a discovery meeting or initial consultation. We’ll also touch on how different advisors operate, what our process is, and why this first chat can make a big impact on your financial future.
The Purpose of the Discovery Meeting
The discovery meeting is a relaxed conversation and opportunity for us to work out how we might work together. It’s about getting to know your current financial position, your goals, potential roadblocks, and what matters most to you. You won’t walk away with a financial plan or any personal advice (that comes during a later stage). This is a chance to ask questions, get clarity, and see if working together makes sense.
Here’s what the discovery meeting is not:
It’s not about giving you personal advice
It’s not about selling you products
It’s not a formal commitment
Instead, it’s a valuable conversation designed to explore whether financial advice could help you and whether we’re the right fit to support you on that journey.
What We’ll Talk About
During the meeting, we’ll cover a few key areas to understand where you are now and where you’d like to be. You don’t need to have everything sorted out, we’re here to guide you through it. Our discussion might include:
1. Your Current Financial Situation
We’ll ask you about your income, expenses, debts (like a home loan or credit cards), savings, and any assets you’ve already built (such as super, shares, or property). This gives us an understanding of where you’re starting from.
2. Your Goals and Reason For Seeking Advice
This is a big one. What do you want to achieve in the short, medium, and long-term? Maybe it’s buying a home, building up savings, investing, or planning for retirement. There are no right or wrong goals, it’s all about what’s important to you.
3. Your Concerns
Are you worried about rising interest rates? Not sure if you’re paying too much tax? Wondering if you’re falling behind with super? This is a space to raise any financial stress points or questions.
4. Your Lifestyle and Values
Your financial plan should fit your life. That’s why we also talk about how you like to spend your money, what your priorities are, and what gives you peace of mind.
What Happens During the Meeting?
Depending on your preference, our discovery meetings can take place online, at your home, at an office or cafe. They usually go for around an hour, giving us enough time to have a meaningful conversation without rushing.
Here’s what you can expect:
We’ll start with a friendly chat and intro
We’ll ask questions to understand your situation
We’ll explain how financial planning works and how we help
You’ll have the chance to ask questions
If there’s value in moving forward, we’ll explain the next steps
You don’t need to bring any paperwork, but if you have recent payslips, a list of expenses, or your super fund details handy, that can help.
The Structure of Our Process
Every financial planning business is different, and below is our simple process for advice:
1. Discovery Meeting – No-Cost, 1 Hour
This is our meeting to get to know each other. You can meet with us online, in an office, or at your home whatever works best for you. You’ll walk away understanding whether financial planning could benefit you, and whether we’re the right fit.
2. Financial Plan
If we both agree there’s value, we move on to preparing a detailed financial plan also known as a Statement of Advice (SOA). This plan outlines strategies to help you reach your goals. We’ll talk about options, pros and cons, and give you the information you need to make informed decisions. At this stage, fees will apply, and we’ll explain these clearly and upfront before starting any work.
3. Implementation and Ongoing Support
If you choose to proceed with the plan, we help you put the strategies in place, whether it’s setting up investments, reviewing insurance, adjusting your budget, or boosting super. We can also provide ongoing support and regular check-ins if you’d like long-term guidance.
How Other Advisors Might Do It Differently
Some financial advisors offer shorter 15 or 20-minute phone calls to determine if you're a good fit before moving forward. Others may charge upfront fees for every meeting, including the initial one. Some work purely online, while others require in-office appointments.
There’s no right way, it depends on their business model. What’s important is understanding their process and fees as it will vary differently for each firm.
Why This Meeting Matters—Even If You Don’t Move Forward
Even if you choose not to proceed beyond the discovery meeting, the chat can still be incredibly useful. You might walk away with:
A clearer idea of your financial goals
Awareness of options you hadn’t considered
Confidence about your next steps, even if you go it alone for now
Think of it as a financial health check and a session to get your bearings.
Benefits of Working With a Financial Advisor
Many people assume financial advisors are only for the wealthy or people close to retirement which isn’t true. Financial planning is about helping people make the right financial decisions at every stage of life.
Here are a few ways a financial advisor can help:
Set clear financial goals
Build a savings and investment strategy
Understand super and how to make the most of it
Manage debt and improve cash flow
Plan for life milestones like buying a home, having kids, or starting a business
Protect your lifestyle with insurance
The earlier you start, the more time you have to benefit from good decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
What If You Don’t Know What You Need?
That’s completely normal! A lot of people come to their first meeting not knowing exactly what they need help with and that’s ok. We’re here to guide you through the process and help you identify what’s possible based on your life and priorities.
You don’t need to have a spreadsheet or checklist. Just be open about what’s going on in your life and where you’d like to be financially in the future.
Some Questions You Might Want to Ask
During the discovery meeting, you’re encouraged to ask anything. Here are a few examples:
What areas do you specialise in?
How do your fees work?
What qualifications do you have?
How do you help people like me?
What’s your process if we decide to move forward?
The more informed you are, the more confident you’ll feel about the decision.
Final Thoughts
The first meeting with a financial advisor doesn’t need to be formal, or pushy. It’s a conversation to see if we can help and whether you’d benefit from a financial plan tailored to your life.
Everyone deserves to feel in control of their money, and having someone in your corner can make a huge difference.
If you’re curious to learn more or ready to book your no-cost discovery meeting, feel free to reach out. We’d love to help you build a financial future that feels right for you.
After working as an advisor for a decade, Joel founded Unified Wealth.
Unified Wealth specialises in helping clients who are facing life’s big decisions.
Whether you’re contemplating your first property, growing your family or starting your investment journey we can help you focus on the simple steps to help you make your goals reality.
Our priority is making sure you have all the right information available to make the best possible decisions for you and those you love.
Our company values are:
Unity - We are most effective when we work together as a team
Trust - We are trustworthy and act in your best interests
Transparency - We are honest and communicate openly
Education - We are committed to lifelong education
At Unified Wealth our team are highly experienced and provide goal-based advice and solutions for a range of advice strategies.