On Sept. 7, 2026, The Hill's Helen Huiskes reported that President Donald Trump had posted photographs of statues and Washington landmarks being updated by the National Park Service as part of his emphasis on projects concerning the capital's public appearance. Whatever Americans make of those projects, maintenance offers a useful general lesson: conditions are easier to assess when someone first identifies what exists, what needs attention and who is responsible for the work.
The same principle applies to a family's finances. A first meeting with a wealth adviser should not begin with a sales presentation or a stack of unexplained forms. It should begin with an inventory and a clear account of what the family wants its money to accomplish.
This checklist is educational, not individualized financial, tax, legal or investment advice. Families should consult appropriately qualified professionals about their circumstances.
Start with goals and decisions
Write down the three decisions that prompted the meeting. They might concern retirement timing, education expenses, care for relatives, charitable giving, a business transition or the management of an inheritance. Assign an approximate date to each goal and identify which ones are flexible.
Also discuss what financial security means to each participant. One person may prioritize predictable income, while another may care more about leaving assets to children. Differences are not a failure of planning. They are information an adviser needs before recommending any course.
Make an account inventory
List bank, brokerage and retirement accounts, employer plans, pensions, annuities, education accounts and significant business interests. For each item, record the institution, account type, approximate value, owner and beneficiary designation. Do not email passwords, full account numbers or other sensitive credentials unless a secure and verified process has been established.
Add major debts, including mortgages, education loans, business obligations and credit balances. Bring recent statements when practical. The purpose is to give the adviser a complete balance sheet, not merely the portion that may be transferred or managed.
Review taxes and estate documents
Gather recent federal and state tax returns, along with information about concentrated investments, business income, charitable gifts or anticipated asset sales. Ask what tax assumptions are being used, which questions require a tax professional and how the adviser coordinates with that professional.
Locate wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives and beneficiary forms. Record when each document was signed and whether a marriage, divorce, birth, death, relocation or business change has occurred since then. An adviser may help identify planning questions, but legal documents should be interpreted or revised with qualified legal assistance.
Ask how the adviser is paid
Request a written description of every expected charge. Ask about advisory fees, planning fees, product expenses, trading costs, custody charges, surrender provisions and compensation received from third parties. Then ask for an example showing the estimated annual dollar cost at the amount your family expects to invest.
Clarify which services are included. Investment management, tax planning, estate coordination and insurance analysis are not interchangeable. A family should know what it is buying, what remains outside the engagement and how often the plan will be reviewed.
Put fiduciary questions in writing
Ask whether the adviser will act as a fiduciary throughout the relationship and whether that commitment will appear in the agreement. Ask about conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, professional credentials, account custody and the process for ending the relationship. Families should independently verify registrations and credentials with the relevant regulators or credentialing organizations.
Before signing, obtain the engagement agreement, fee schedule, privacy notice, conflict disclosures and any investment policy or planning document. Read them away from the meeting. A request for time to review paperwork is ordinary due diligence.
Documents to gather
Print this final list: goal notes; household budget or spending estimate; account and debt statements; insurance policies; recent tax returns; employer benefit information; pension or Social Security estimates if available; wills and trusts; powers of attorney; health care directives; beneficiary designations; business agreements; and a list of questions from every participating family member.
Readers who want to prepare for a wealth-planning conversation can use the list to organize a consultation without treating the meeting itself as a commitment.
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A productive first meeting should leave a family with a clearer map of its finances, an understanding of costs and responsibilities, and a written account of the next questions to resolve. That is useful progress even when no immediate transaction follows.