Michael Makes Sense

The Role of a Financial Planner | Do You Really Need One? | Michael Makes Sense Ep. 01

August 13, 2026·12 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Do you really need a financial planner if you’re already doing a good job managing your money? In the premiere episode of Michael Makes Sense, Michael Widlake, Founder of Commonwealth Guardians, breaks down the role of a financial planner and explains what a good advisor should actually bring to your financial life. Michael takes complicated financial concepts and puts them into plain English, including what it means to work with an independent fiduciary advisor and why choosing the right advisor involves much more than simply finding someone to manage investments. In this episode, Michael answers real questions from listeners, including: If I’m already saving and investing successfully, why would I need a financial planner? What does independent fiduciary advisor actually mean? If advisors are all fiduciaries, what separates one advisor from another? What should you expect from a financial planning relationship? How can an advisor help you look beyond investments and consider your complete financial picture? Financial planning isn’t simply about picking stocks or watching the market. It’s about understanding where you are, where you want to go, the risks you may face along the way, and creating a strategy designed around your life. Common Sense Answers in Uncommon Financial Times. Real questions. Clear answers. Conversations that make sense. Want a clearer understanding of where you stand financially? Learn more about the Financial Telehealth™ Check-Up with Commonwealth Guardians: Financial Telehealth™:https://commonwealthguardians.com/telehealth/ Commonwealth Guardians:https://commonwealthguardians.com/ Have a question you'd like Michael to answer on a future episode? Email: podcastQA@michaelmakessense.com Learn more about the show at: https://michaelmakessense.com #MichaelMakesSense #FinancialPlanning #FinancialPlanner #Fiduciary #FinancialAdvisor #PersonalFinance #RetirementPlanning #Investing #CommonwealthGuardians #FinancialTelehealth Michael Makes SenseSchedule a Financial Telehealth™ Check-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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