When we recommend working with a financial advisor, we don’t mean that you should pick one and call it a day. Working with your advisor means keeping lines of communication open, adapting as your goals and needs change, and proactively managing your financial relationship. Here are some topics you can use to keep the discussion going.

Changes to your retirement goals

Since you first engaged your advisor, it’s likely your goals for retirement have come into greater focus. Maybe you had grandchildren. Maybe you’d like to retire early. Maybe you’ve just had enough of the weather.

These things can have a profound impact on how your advisor approaches your financial situation. A quality advisor doesn’t give cookie cutter advice. They tailor their recommendations to your end goals. As those goals evolve, be sure to keep your advisor in the loop.

Policy changes

Let’s face it. Most of us have some pretty strong opinions about policy matters. Your advisor is likely up on the latest legislation, and discussing policy changes helps put them in perspective. It is easy to panic and feel like your money is out of your control, but communicating your risk tolerance and airing any concerns you have about the political landscape can help you make informed decisions.

Your family

When you started investing, maybe you were single or didn’t have children. It’s quite likely many of the decisions you made about your retirement assumed you would be single for the rest of your life.

What goals do you have for your family? Do you want to put your kids through college? Do you want to provide for your children into adulthood? Communicating these aspirations to your advisor will help them identify the right tools to make them a reality.

Your estate

If you started investing at a young age, you might have assumed not only that you would always be single, but that you would live forever. Maybe you want to establish trusts so that you can direct some of your dollars to go to your family while you are still around. Maybe you want control how the money is spent. If you haven’t given thought to what you want to leave behind for your heirs, your advisor can help you work through the available options.

Social Security

This merits a discussion all on its own. When you begin to take Social Security has enormous implications for your retirement. It can dictate when you can retire, what kind of taxes you pay in retirement, and how much you will have available when you do retire. And it’s all complicated with lots of variables.

If you are over the age of 60, make an appointment to discuss Social Security specifically. Keep an open mind and let your advisor make a recommendation in light of your specific goals.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

This article was originally published in the Pioneer Press. You may view the article here.