Your financial advisor should be more than just a numbers person—they should be a steady partner, someone who helps you make sense of your money and move confidently toward your goals. But just like any relationship, what worked in the past may not serve you as well today.
In fact, a recent Morningstar study found that the top reasons investors leave their financial advisors include poor-quality advice or service (32%), a weak personal connection (21%), and high costs (17%). Other reasons include disappointing investment performance, lack of trust, and poor communication.
This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about recognizing when your needs have evolved—and whether your current advisor is evolving with you. The stakes are too high to settle for a partnership that no longer feels aligned. In this post, we’ll walk through seven clear signs that it might be time to move on, so you can take control of your financial future with the right support by your side.
#1: You’ve Outgrown Their Services
Maybe your advisor helped you start a Roth IRA or choose your first investments, but now you’re navigating more complex financial territory—stock options, business income, estate planning, or tax strategies—and they’re not keeping up.
If your financial life has grown more complicated but your advisor is still offering the same cookie-cutter solutions, it’s a red flag. The right advisor should be equipped to guide you through your current phase of life and what’s ahead. If they’re not proactively addressing your evolving needs, it may be time to find someone who will.
#2: Communication Is Infrequent or One-Sided
You shouldn’t feel like you have to chase down your financial advisor to get a call back—or sit through meetings that feel rushed and surface-level. A strong advisor-client relationship is built on consistent, two-way communication. That means not just returning your calls or emails promptly, but checking in regularly, anticipating your questions, and taking the time to explain their recommendations in plain language.
If your advisor is hard to reach, only contacts you during market downturns, or makes you feel like an afterthought, that’s not a relationship built on trust. You deserve someone who values your time, listens carefully, and communicates clearly—especially when your financial future is on the line.
#3: You Don’t Feel Heard or Understood
Financial planning is personal. It’s not just about spreadsheets and asset allocations—it’s about what matters most to you: your goals, values, fears, and dreams. If your advisor doesn’t take the time to understand what’s important to you, their advice may miss the mark, no matter how technically sound it is.
Maybe they’re pushing strategies that don’t align with your risk tolerance. Or perhaps you’ve shared life updates, but they never follow up. If you leave meetings feeling unseen or misunderstood, that’s a sign your advisor isn’t prioritizing your unique story—and that’s a problem.
#4: The Advice Feels Generic, Not Personalized
Your financial plan should reflect your life—your goals, your challenges, and your dreams—not a generic template pulled from a playbook. Yet many advisors lean on cookie-cutter strategies or software-generated plans that don’t truly consider the nuances of your situation.
If you’re receiving the same recommendations as your friend, sibling, or coworker—even though your income, family structure, and goals are completely different—that’s a sign your advisor may not be listening closely enough or digging deep enough.
This is where the distinction between the fiduciary standard and the suitability standard becomes important. Advisors held to the suitability standard only need to recommend options that are “good enough.” Fiduciary advisors, on the other hand, are legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest—and that means offering advice that’s truly personalized to you.
A real financial plan isn’t one-size-fits-all. It should be a reflection of your full financial picture, from your tax situation and career path to your values and long-term vision. If the advice you’re getting feels broad or impersonal, you may not be getting the expert, individualized guidance you deserve.
#5: You’re Unclear About What You’re Paying—Or What You’re Getting
Transparency around fees is essential in any professional relationship—especially when it comes to your money. If your advisor’s compensation model is confusing, not clearly disclosed, or feels disconnected from the value you’re receiving, that’s a red flag.
Are you paying a flat fee? A percentage of your assets? Commissions on financial products? And just as importantly—what are you getting in return? Understanding how your advisor is compensated can reveal a lot about potential conflicts of interest.
- Fee-only advisors are compensated directly by their clients—either through flat fees, hourly rates, or a percentage of assets under management. This model removes product-based incentives and aligns your advisor’s success with your own.
- In contrast, fee-based and commission-based advisors may earn money through selling investment products or insurance, which can create blurred lines between what’s best for you and what earns them a commission.
CFP® professionals are held to a fiduciary standard and must disclose all conflicts of interest. Many CFP® professionals operate under a fee-only model, prioritizing transparency and ensuring their advice is in your best interest—not driven by hidden incentives.
Ultimately, you should never feel uncomfortable asking how your advisor is paid. A trustworthy advisor welcomes those questions and answers them with clarity and confidence. If you’re in the dark or getting vague responses, it might be time to look elsewhere.
#6: You’ve Lost Confidence in Their Judgment
Maybe it was a missed opportunity, a recommendation that didn’t sit right, or a gut feeling you can’t shake. Whatever the cause, if you’ve started questioning your advisor’s judgment—or doubting whether they truly have your best interests at heart—it’s time to pay attention.
Trust is the foundation of any successful advisor-client relationship. Without it, even the most technically sound advice can feel hollow.
You need someone you can rely on when the markets get rocky, when you’re making big decisions, or when you simply don’t know what to do next. If that trust is no longer there, it’s a sign the relationship may have run its course.
#7: You’re Avoiding Meetings or Dreading the Conversation
This might be the clearest sign of all. If you find yourself putting off check-ins, dreading your next review, or feeling anxious after every interaction, ask yourself why. Is it the delivery? The advice itself? A subtle sense that something just isn’t working?
Avoidance often signals discomfort, and discomfort can point to misalignment. Your financial advisor should leave you feeling more informed, more empowered, and more in control—not the opposite. Life is too short—and your goals too important—to stick with a relationship that drains your energy instead of fueling your future.
TrueNorth Wealth Is Here to Help
Switching financial advisors can feel overwhelming—especially if you’ve built a long-term relationship. But holding onto an advisor who no longer meets your needs doesn’t serve either of you. Your financial life is too important to settle. You deserve more: more clarity, more alignment, and a partner who’s genuinely invested in your future.
At TrueNorth Wealth, our team of fiduciary CFP® professionals is committed to putting your best interests first. We take the time to understand your full financial picture—your goals, values, and the life you’re building—and translate that into a personalized plan you can feel confident about. If it’s time for a change, we’re here to make the transition seamless—and the path forward clear.
TrueNorth Wealth is among the top Wealth Management firms in Utah and Idaho, with offices in Salt Lake City, Logan, St. George, and Boise. At TrueNorth Wealth, we focus on helping our clients build long-term wealth while maximizing the enjoyment they receive from their money. We do this by pairing our clients with a dedicated CFP® professional backed by an incredible team.
For our team at TrueNorth, it’s about so much more than money. It’s about serving families all across Utah and helping them achieve freedom and flexibility in their lives. To learn more or schedule a no-cost consultation, visit our website at TrueNorth Wealth or call (801) 316-1875.
