From New-Hire To Confident Advisor: Structuring A First-Year Associate Advisor Onboarding Plan To Develop Technical And Client Skills

A few weeks ago, I found a journal entry from my first few days as a full-time professional, which read as follows:

I've been a real adult for three days now, and I've found out that full-time work is one-third waiting to be trained on stuff,  one-third thinking, "Well, I guess I'll just go ahead and do this without training?", and one-third thinking, "Why are you training me on this? This is possibly the only thing I do not need training for."

There's a lot to unpack here – namely, I wish I still had the sheer confidence of my 21-year-old self (even if my definition of a ‘real adult' needed some work). But there's one nugget of truth in this entry that applies to both the manager and new hire: It's really hard to pace a good onboarding plan.

"Drinking from the firehose" is a common expression often used to describe the experience of training for a new role. There's so much to absorb as a new hire, particularly for service-oriented advisor positions. New employees in advisory firms are asked to quickly learn and master many things:

• Who the firm serves and what makes the clientele unique
• Why the advisory firm exists and how that drives its processes
• How daily operations and workflows function, including where to find key information
• Who's who in the advisory firm, from clients to fellow employees to contractors

… Not to mention all the small details like how to actually do their job!

Perhaps one of the hardest roles to pace with onboarding is that of an associate advisor. To succeed in their role, these advisors have to absorb a wealth of firm-specific information while honing both their interpersonal and technical skills – especially since client meetings are high stakes and built on trust. On top of that, they need to master the firm's unique way of doing things, both technically and relationally.

This is, as the kids would say, not quick or easy. Most firms approach associate advisor training as a multi-year process –one that extends even further if the new hire has yet to earn their CFP marks (or equivalent requisite licenses). Given the length of this training period, the associate advisor role typically ends up adapting to the new hire to some degree, especially in small firms.

For many managers, the answer ends up being a long shadowing period, where the associate advisor observes calls with the lead advisor (who is often also the manager or firm owner). Over time, the associate advisor gradually takes over small parts of client calls and responsibilities. This approach minimizes the lead advisor's workload while ensuring the associate advisor is exposed to everything happening – eventually. When they're ready.

However, determining when an associate advisor is ready can be difficult without a clear roadmap to nudge both the associate advisor and the manager to continue transitioning responsibilities. For onboarding to be effective, both parties need to be aligned on the following three key elements:

1. A timeline for how responsibilities will be phased in;
2. A method for evaluating the associate advisor's performance; and
3. An overarching vision of how the role can evolve. Will this remain a support-based role, or is the associate advisor expected to develop into a revenue-generating advisor who can market and prospect?

In theory, then, ‘all' a manager has to do is map out a timeline for the associate advisor to take on responsibilities – fast enough to keep them engaged but not too fast that they're overwhelmed. Easier said than done! Sarcasm aside, a well-structured onboarding plan gives both the manager and new hire a clear roadmap for a successful, smooth onboarding process… even if the roadmap has to be adjusted as time goes on.

And that's exactly why a thoughtful onboarding plan is essential. The first year of an associate advisor's time at a firm is pivotal – it sets the foundation for their long-term growth, confidence, and contribution. But what does a well-designed plan actually look like?

How To Create An Onboarding Plan For Associate Advisors

There are a few guidelines that can make an onboarding plan easier for both the associate advisor and their manager. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Make it concrete. Both the advisor and manager should be able to articulate the areas of financial advice a new hire is expected to learn in their first year. An effective onboarding plan clearly defines different areas of growth and typically includes client meeting skills, proficiency with the firm's software, an understanding of the firm's processes, and other key competencies. The more specific the roadmap, the easier it is for both the manager and advisor to track progress.
2. Make it obejective. A good onboarding plan defines clear standards and measurable benchmarks that help both the advisor and manager stay accountable for the advisor's progress. This allows the advisor to recognize areas where they need improvement and ensures the manager consistently hands off responsibilities as the associate advisor achieves key milestones.
3. Balance structure with flexibility. Onboarding roadmaps generally outline expectations at key intervals – 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year. These roadmaps don't have to be complex; they can be as simple as bullet points that outline anticipated growth in autonomy, knowledge, and responsibility. However, some flexibility is often required. Unexpected events at the firm may adjust the roadmap's timeline, or the associate advisor may demonstrate strengths in some areas while needing more support in others – for example, they excel at financial planning but struggle with presentation skills.

Adjustments to the onboarding plan should be a collaborative process. Discussing changes can be a great opportunity to make mutual decisions to ‘role-craft' with the associate advisor in a way that supports both the firm's needs and the associate advisor's unique skills. Some level of adjustment is not just expected but valuable, especially for firms that have onboarded only a few (or no other) advisors.

Hiring Considerations That Shape The Onboarding Process

While a well-designed onboarding plan is an important part of the equation, hiring decisions also play a major role in shaping how the plan unfolds. However, many advisory firm owners find these decisions challenging, especially when hiring for an associate advisor role. Do they pay an associate advisor who has licenses and more prior experience, but invest in ‘retraining' them in the firm's methodology and technology? Or do they hire a less-experienced advisor at a lower salary, taking on the burden of training them from the ground up?

In speaking with associate advisors and their managers, no single approach emerged as the right answer to these questions (which may or may not be reassuring to hear!). However, everyone I spoke with emphasized that hiring for cultural fit outweighed immediate experience. When firms bring on advisors who are entirely new to the field, many have them shadow the operations or CSA roles alongside their advisor training. While this approach helps develop well-rounded employees who understand the firm's systems and client service model, it also extends the training process!

Onboarding An Associate Advisor For Mutual Success

A structured onboarding plan not only helps an associate advisor ramp up efficiently but also ensures a mutually beneficial transition – where both the firm and the new hire clearly understand expectations, milestones, and opportunities for growth. To help managers streamline this process, we've created a customizable onboarding tool that can serve as a starting point for an advisory firm's training plan.

This onboarding template is available as a downloadable Excel file and includes the following four worksheets:

1. Resources – Provides internal and external reference materials.
2. People Guide – Identifies key firm contacts and external professionals.
3. Skills Development – Tracks technical and client-facing competencies.
4. Onboarding Overview – Lays out a structured plan for the advisor's first year.

Each worksheet plays a distinct role in structuring the onboarding experience, ensuring that associate advisors develop both the technical knowledge and client communication skills they need to succeed in their first year while adapting to the firm's processes.

Foundational Resources: The First Steps

Before an associate advisor's first day, managers should take some time to customize the first two worksheets – Resources and People Guide – which provide essential firm-specific reference materials.

Resources

This sheet serves as a central hub for internal and external documents that will help the advisor navigate the firm's processes and expectations.

The Internal Resources section can include content such as the firm's core values and mission statement, compliance guidelines and regulatory documents, tone/style guides and communication standards, and how-to guides for software and procedures.

The External Resources section can provide industry background through relevant blogs, articles, and thought leadership. It can also include content such as help desk or support links for external software tools, as well as books or podcasts recommended for professional development.

Having all these materials in one place means new advisors won't have to ask, "Wait, where do I find that again?" every five minutes.

People Guide

The People Guide introduces the associate advisor to key firm contacts and external professionals they will interact with. This helps new hires understand who to reach out to for specific questions or support.

List internal employees and contractors, including:

• Leadership, senior advisors, and firm managers;
• Operations and compliance contacts; and
• Team members responsible for specific workflows.

Identify external professionals (e.g., CPAs, estate attorneys, and industry contacts), including:

• Their relationship with the firm.
• When and why an associate advisor might contact them.

This ensures that new advisors know their points of contact early in their onboarding process.

Skills Development: Technical And Client-Facing Competencies

The Skills Development tab outlines in more detail the tasks that an associate advisor will ideally learn over their first year. The template divides these tasks into two main categories: 1) client communication skills and 2) technical back-end skills. This distinction is helpful because advisors tend to develop those skill sets at very different paces.

For example, a newly minted CFP professional may have a solid technical foundation, but still need to learn how to contextualize their knowledge in real-world client scenarios – requiring further development of their technical skills. At the same time, that advisor must also learn how to effectively communicate complex concepts to clients in a warm, engaging, and understandable way – requiring them to develop their client meeting skills. That being said, firms can modify or add to these categories to better align with the firm's work! The provided template is simply a starting point to help managers outline key competencies.

To complete the Skills Development worksheet, break down each category into recurring, high-level stages. For example, technical back-end skills might include sections for client onboarding, preparing for annual planning meetings, insurance planning, and other recurring client work. From there, outline a few specific subtasks that an associate advisor should be able to complete at the end of their first year.

For example, while they may not be expected to build an entire initial financial plan for a new client, they might contribute by developing specific recommendations or conducting scenario analysis.

Similarly, client communication skills may include both asynchronous communication (e.g., emails) and synchronous communication (e.g., like meetings or phone calls). Meeting preparation and meeting notes would both fall into client communication skills as well. It's okay if the plan at this point is "run part of the meeting" even if the specific portion to be run hasn't been determined yet. If that's the case, this presents an opportunity to ‘role-craft' and tailor responsibilities as the advisor gains experience.

Because client communication skills can be hard to evaluate beyond an instinctive "I know it when I see it", having a few clear subtasks listed out can provide an associate advisor with concrete guidance for identifying specific areas where they can focus on developing their skills.

Soft and hard financial planning skills will continue to evolve over time. The goal for this sheet isn't to overwhelm new advisors – it's to act as a guideline and checklist, helping them understand what's possible and what they can work toward as they integrate into the firm!

Onboarding Overview

Now that the foundation is set, it's time to fill out the Onboarding Overview tab – the game plan for an associate advisor's first year. This worksheet is designed to gradually build confidence and independence, breaking the process into three key categories:

• Learn The Firm – Getting familiar with the team, the firm's mission, and internal workflows.
• Client Communication Skills – Developing the ability to engage with clients through meetings, emails, and phone calls.
• Planning Tasks – Mastering back-end service work, from building financial plans to handling day-to-day client requests.

The key to structuring this plan is to start at the finish line and work backward. If the goal is for a new advisor to confidently lead parts of a client meeting by their one-year anniversary, what should they be practicing at six months? What foundational skills need to be in place by 90 days? And what should they focus on in the first month to build toward that goal?

This is also a great time to delegate onboarding responsibilities where possible. While some employees may naturally offer to help, others – particularly those with an interest in leadership roles – might appreciate the opportunity to take part in training and mentorship (which, in itself, can be a good way to gauge that employee's capacity for such roles!). Ensuring that the associate advisor knows who to go to with questions can alleviate the number of questions coming the manager's way.

Manager To-Dos:

• Fill out the Onboarding Plan. Define key milestones and expectations for the first year.
• Determine who else can support with onboarding. Identify team members who can assist with training.

Days 1–30: Learn Yourself, Learn Your Team, Learn Your Firm

After the blur of interviews, offer negotiations, and onboarding prep, an advisor's first day can be a relief – until the reality of learning an entirely new firm sets in!

Within the first few days, as the advisor settles in, take time to introduce the onboarding plan. Talk through the high-level points – what they'll be learning, how they'll get there, and what parts of the plan are flexible versus nonnegotiable. Will they be shadowing? Attending classes? Working under supervision? It's not necessary to dive into every detail just yet, but marking out the roadmap can be helpful to set expectations upfront, helping new advisors feel grounded from the start.

Learn The Firm

As part of onboarding, it's worth discussing an advisor's work preferences early on. Are they a morning person? Do they prefer to save their focus work for the afternoon? Do they prefer structured checklists or more autonomy to figure things out? If the firm uses personality or work style assessments, have them take one within the first few days. The actual assessment the firm uses matters less than the actual conversation between the manager and advisor about how best to work and communicate together.

A large part of the first two weeks will be spent on logistic setup –things like setting up the advisor with company accounts, ensuring they understand the firm's annual schedule, and answering HR questions. It's also critical for the new advisor to learn the firm's niche, client schedule, and unique value propositions so they can start understanding how the firm positions itself in the market.

Learn The Team

Make sure the advisor meets everyone – employees, contractors, and key people they'll interact with regularly. Whether the firm is in-person or virtual, providing casual settings to connect can help the advisor get to know the team on a more human level.

It's also helpful to have the advisor shadow every role in the firm – not just other advisors. Understanding what other team members' day-to-day workflow looks like, how they work, and what issues they commonly run into on tasks helps new advisors appreciate how everything fits together. (In fact, a number of advisors interviewed for this piece recommended that an advisor spend the same amount of time shadowing the operations/CSA team as they do the firm's advisors – suggesting that at least 90 days of part-time operations shadowing is a good general rule.)

Learn The Role

The first month is where ‘drinking from the firehose' really kicks in. At first, an advisor might observe a client meeting and focus on just one aspect of the conversation. Two weeks later, they might sit in on a similar meeting and suddenly pick up on new subtexts, strategies, and nuances – simply because of how much they've learned in those two weeks and now know what to look for.

This is why getting advisors into client meetings as soon as possible is key. After each meeting, take time to debrief:

• What did the associate advisor notice?
• What strategies did the lead advisor use?
• What questions do they still have?

Additionally, talk through the firm's internal processes. If there are checklists, ensure that the advisor has them on hand. If not, record training meetings whenever possible – new employees have a unique, important superpower of seeing processes with fresh eyes, which means they'll naturally ask, "Why do we do it this way?" Encouraging these questions not only uncovers potential inefficiencies but also reinforces the intentional decisions behind existing workflows and provides a chance to collaborate to improve them!

Finally, encourage the advisor to get into the firm software as quickly as possible. Almost every advisory firm I spoke with recommended having the advisor build their own financial plan – entering their own personal (or fictionalized) data into the planning software and creating recommendations for themselves, then having the lead advisor review their process. Some also extend this exercise to include family members as a way to navigate multiple aspects of the software.

Give Some Level Of Responsibility

While there's a lot to take in, it's still important to give the advisor some level of responsibility early on without overcorrecting with too much shadowing. Simple, concrete tasks like preparing meeting agendas, processing post-meeting notes, or drafting client follow-ups can help to build confidence and create learning opportunities with manager feedback in the early days of the role.During this time, it's often common for the advisor and manager to check in daily. There is a lot for the new advisor to learn, and this gives managers a chance to answer questions, reinforce lessons, and provide immediate context for new experiences.

Manager To-Dos:

• Introduce the advisor to everyone on the team (internal and external).
• Set up a schedule for shadowing different roles.
• Hold daily check-ins To answer questions and reinforce learning.

Associate Advisor To-Dos:

• Be able to articulate the firm's niche and unique value propositions.
• Shadow different roles across the advisory firm, not just advisors.
• Ask lots of questions!

Days 30–90: Building Comprehension

At this stage, the associate advisor moves from pure observation to active participation – continuing to learn the firm's inner workings while gradually taking on more responsibility. The goal is for them to understand the firm's niche, shadow different roles with purpose, and start executing planning tasks with structured feedback.

Learn The Firm

By the end of 90 days, the associate advisor should be able to clearly articulate the firm's niche: Who does the firm serve? What's unique about this client base? How does the firm deliver value? If the firm specializes in a particular demographic or service model, have the advisor dig deeper. What are common challenges these clients face? How does the firm structure its services around those challenges?

Continue shadowing operations and other departments, with a goal to wind down most shadowing by the end of this period. The associate advisor should now be able to explain what each team member or department does and how their work fits into the larger firm structure.

Learn Planning

At this stage, the advisor should begin handling support tasks, including preparing client meeting notes, creating follow-ups, and other day-to-day tasks. They should also have training on low-level client requests and understand the issues that need to be flagged for review by the lead advisor.

To help the advisor progress efficiently, keep training structured using the following four-step learning process:

1. Synchronous Observation — The lead advisor works, and the associate observes.
2. Synchronous Work – The associate works while the lead advisor observes.
3. Asychonrous Work, Synchronous Debrief – The associate works independently, and the lead advisor reviews their work and discusses it with them afterward.
4. Asynchronous Work, Asynchronous Debrief – The associate works independently, and the lead advisor reviews their work with minimal feedback via comments or revisions.

Most of the work in this phase will involve synchronous training and debriefing, but managers should watch for repetitive tasks that the advisor can take on with review afterward. For example, if multiple clients are onboarding at the same time, can the associate sit in on data-gathering meetings? Can they start contributing to financial planning work? If possible, assign parts of the plan for them to build, then review together afterward.

Reviewing The Skills Development Tab

The 90-day mark is a great time to start reviewing the Skills Development tab in more depth. This can primarily be used as a conversation starter:

• What tasks has the advisor started working on?
• Where are they ahead of the curve?
• Where do they need more support?
• What needs to be adjusted?
• What tasks can the lead advisor start delegating?

To track progress, the associate advisor can rate their confidence level using the 1 – 9 scale in the worksheet, while the manager can give feedback on where they agree or what they see differently. This can updated every few months when doing check-ins, or additional columns can be added to the worksheet to track growth over time.

Manager To-Dos:

• Look for opportunities for the advisor to try new tasks, ensuring they have proper review and feedback.
• Start transitioning the advisor from shadowing to execution, with guided supervision.
• Use the Skills Development worksheet as a conversation tool, assessing progress and areas for growth.

Associate Advisor To-Dos:

• Continue shadowing different departments, focusing on how roles fit together.
• Learn and practice client meeting styles, note-taking, and follow-up tasks.
• Start working on repetitive planning tasks, with structured review.

Months 3–6: Deepening Competence

By this stage, the associate advisor has gained enough exposure and experience to start moving from learning to doing. While shadowing and structured training will still play a role, this period is about helping the advisor develop confidence, refine their skills, and begin owning parts of the planning process.

Learn The Firm

At this point, the advisor is likely starting to feel more at home with the firm's daily operations and internal workflows. They've seen repeated processes several times, and patterns are starting to click. If the advisor is so inclined, encourage them to document workflows by creating checklists or developing other ways to articulate processes.

Even if they don't formally create documentation, by month six, they should feel comfortable navigating the firm's style, processes, and day-to-day flow of work without constant guidance. This period is about solidifying their understanding of how the firm functions at a high level so they can begin contributing in a more independent capacity.

Learn Planning

With firm processes feeling more natural, the next major focus is on developing client meeting skills and increasing autonomy in technical planning work. Have the advisor begin presenting parts of the financial plan to other team members and the lead advisor. Start with sections where the associate advisor is already doing back-end tasks. If they've been building parts of the plan, they should practice presenting those same sections.

Tracking Progress And Guiding Development

At this point, the advisor and manager will have multiple areas of training happening at once – which means clear feedback and progress tracking become even more important.

Lead advisors can begin assessing which parts of the planning process the associate advisor can begin to own. Can they consistently build certain parts of the plan? How are they handling lower-level client requests?

At the same time, the advisor is just beginning to learn more complex financial planning skills, so the six-month review can be a great time to:

• Reflect on their progress. What have they mastered or learned in-depth? Where are they still learning?
• Set expectations for the next phase of training.
• Celebrate wins! Acknowledging their growth and progress helps reinforce momentum.

Manager To-Dos:

• Look for opportunities to delegate, especially on client tasks that have been worked on several times.
• Start handing off more planning and client tasks for the advisor to tackle on their own.
• Continue providing feedback, especially on presentation and client communication skills.

Associate Advisor To-Dos:

• Refine client meeting skills by practicing presentations internally.
• Take ownership of planning tasks, increasing independence with manager review.
• Continue asking questions, but start solving simpler client requests independently.

Months 6–12: Iterating Toward Independence

By the one-year mark, the goal is for the associate advisor to be actively contributing to client meetings, presenting parts of the plan with the lead advisor, and gaining more confidence in their role. From this point forward, the focus shifts to deepening expertise, increasing independence, and becoming a valuable resource for the team.

Learn Planning

At this stage, the associate advisor should be taking on more ownership of planning tasks, moving beyond just support work and into direct problem-solving. If it hasn't happened already, start connecting the associate advisor with other departments to work together where appropriate. A great way to build confidence is to have the associate advisor and CSA work together to solve client issues – where previously, the lead advisor might have stepped in. Some level of review and oversight may still be needed, but this helps the associate advisor develop problem-solving skills and eventually become a resource to other members of the firm!

Practicing For Client Meetings

For advisors working toward presenting in client meetings, this is the time to actively practice and refine their delivery. Weekly practice sessions may be helpful, whether directly with a lead advisor, through role-playing with other team members, or through other coaching opportunities such as external training programs. Many associate advisors at this stage are still building comfort with not having all the answers, learning to improvise and respond to client questions on the fly, and adapting to conversations that don't follow a set script.

Manager To-Dos:

• Look for opportunities to position the advisor as a subject-matter expert – both internally (e.g., by mentoring junior staff) and externally (e.g., through client-facing tasks).
• Encourage collaboration between the associate advisor and CSAs to solve client issues.
• Continue to offer feedback on client presentation skills, helping the advisor develop their ability to think on their feet.

Associate Advisor To-Dos:

• Deepen technical expertise by working more independently on planning tasks.
• Strengthen client communication skills by practicing meeting presentations regularly.
• Be ready to present portions of client calls, moving toward more active participation.

Annual Check-In

Reaching the one-year mark is a major milestone – for both the advisor and manager! This is a moment to celebrate progress, reflect on growth, and explore what's next.

Be sure to take a moment to look back at how far things have come. The Skills Development worksheet can be a powerful tool for the advisor and manager to reflect together on where things went well, what surprised both parties about the advisor's strengths and learning style, and future opportunities and challenges.

Additionally, the annual check-in can be a great time to consider long-term career growth, exploring how the advisor's strengths and interests can further help the firm grow.

To-Do List For Managers And Advisors:

• Celebrate the first year! Acknowledge progress and wins.
• Review the Skills Development worksheet together. Identify key strengths and areas for continued growth.
• Discuss the advisor's career trajectory. Explore how their skills and interests align with firm growth.

Other Notes For Success

In my interviews with both managers and associate advisors, the following key themes emerged for making the onboarding process smoother and more effective:

1. Maintain synchronous meetings. Early on, meetings will focus on observation and debriefing. Over time, they'll shift toward reviews and synchronous feedback and will eventually evolve into problem-solving and strategy discussions.

• One of the firms I spoke to, Morton Wealth, has their team work on case studies together to encourage everyone to problem-solve as a team and to build rapport.

2. Invest in external development. This is especially crucial for small firms, where onboarding responsibilities fall on just a few people. Outside training, professional groups, or mentorship programs can provide valuable perspective and growth opportunities.
3. Aim for 80%. When assessing an associate advisor's progress, think in terms of 80% capability. What would they need to know to confidently service 80% of the firm's clients? This benchmark can serve as a realistic yet ambitious target for skill development.
4. Identify and leverage advisors' unique strengths. Every advisor has natural inclinations – some may thrive in systems and operations, while others prefer client interactions or business development. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all approach, identify and cultivate strengths in the new advisor that complement the rest of the team. This is a valuable opportunity for better operations and business development!
5. Get really clear on the distinction between personal preferences and firm standards. Not every part of the advisory process needs to be rigidly standardized. For example, be able to differentiate between a firm standard, like "In annual meetings, we need to run these analyses in advance and discuss these five key points", and a personal preference, like "I prefer to present these five points this way, and here's why this works for me. Ultimately, you'll find the method that works for you." Clarifying these distinctions helps set expectations while giving the advisor room to develop their own style.
6. Keep the long-term role in mind (even beyond the roadmap) and allow for flexibility. Going beyond the structured roadmap, consider how the role might evolve over time. Is this position primarily support-based, with minimal client interaction? Will the advisor eventually take on prospecting responsibilities? Or will they be assigned clients without the need to prospect? While role expectations should ideally be discussed during the interview process to ensure a good fit, there's often a gap between initial interest and real-world experience – especially for less experienced advisors. So, it's important to continually revisit how the advisor feels about their day-to-day work. Watch for the advisor's natural inclinations and compare them with the firm's evolving needs. See where there's space for middle ground – there may be opportunities to adjust responsibilities in a way that aligns both the advisor's strengths and the firm's goals.
7. Be patient and remember the human. A lot of pressure comes with onboarding associate advisors – for both the advisor and the firm. There's a tremendous amount to learn, and it won't all go perfectly. But making mistakes – and learning from them – can encourage tremendous growth. Build infrastructure that allows for learning without high stakes to protect the advisor from harmful consequences. For example, include multiple rounds of review on client-facing work, letting the advisor review any necessary corrections. And encourage open communication so that advisors feel comfortable asking questions, seeking guidance when they need it, and growing into their role!

---

Onboarding new advisors isn't just about training someone to fill a role; it's also about nurturing talent, fostering growth, and strengthening the firm's future. With enough encouragement, structure, patience, and time, firms can build an onboarding experience that is both effective and mutually rewarding – not just for the associate advisor, but for the entire team. Ultimately, successful onboarding doesn't just prepare an associate advisor for the role. It also empowers them to thrive, contribute meaningfully, and help the firm to grow to new heights!

Thank you to the many people who shared experiences and insight with this article, including Stacey McKinnon and Beau Wirick of Morton Wealth, Emily Rassam and Marti Bott of Archer Investment Management, Olivia Allen of Village Financial Services, Jason Jones of Three Corners Capital, Bridget Venus Grimes of WealthChoice, and Jonathan Dursteler of the Kitces team.