The 5 Biggest Red Flags of Financial Advising

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tylergardner.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st! And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors: Factor → factormeals.com/tylerg50off and use code tylerg50off to get 50% off and one free breakfast item per box for one year while supplies last until 10/31/2026. ⁠⁠⁠⁠LMNT⁠ → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/tyler. ⁠Facet⁠ → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer! Copilot Money → ⁠⁠⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠⁠⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months.⁠ And on to the show notes!! Hiring a financial advisor can be genuinely valuable. Hiring the wrong one can be extremely expensive. In this episode, Tyler breaks down five red flags to watch for when choosing an advisor—or evaluating the one you already have. Because the question isn’t whether financial advice has value. It’s whether this advisor is worth what you’re paying them. In this episode, Tyler covers: Why the traditional 1% assets-under-management fee can become enormously expensive over time The one question to ask every prospective advisor: “What would you do with $100,000 of my money?” Why real market experience—and humility—matters when things get ugly How to confirm your advisor is a fiduciary 100% of the time Why your investments should always be held with an independent third-party custodian How guarantees, deadlines, and high-pressure sales tactics reveal misaligned incentives What to watch for once you’re a client, including churning and unnecessary cash drag How to leave an advisor without creating an avoidable tax bill The core idea: Good financial advice can be worth paying for. But the price should reflect the service—not the size of your portfolio. Look for transparent pricing, boring investments, real planning expertise, aligned incentives, and someone willing to tell you exactly how they get paid. And remember: it’s your money, not theirs. If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something useful to think about this week.