When Do You Need a Financial Advisor? A Few Life Changes That Signal It's Time

Only 27% of adults under 30 use a financial advisor. But 51% of adults over 65 do. Does our financial life really get that much harder to manage in retirement? Or do we just wait longer to admit we need help?

Many young professionals don’t think they qualify to be good clients. However, they have plenty of complexity a money manager could help with. Some of life’s biggest financial decisions happen long before retirement – although later than they used to:

• The median age at first marriage is now 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women
• The average age for a first-time mom is 27.5
• Redfin puts the median age of a first-time homebuyer at 35, National Association of Realtors puts it at 40

Later in life you may pay for a child’s wedding, a vacation home, and then eventually prepare to retire. Earlier, you need someone you trust to help you ask the right questions when you combine finances with a spouse, buy your first home, and navigate the expenses of raising kids. Whether you have $100,000 or $10,000,000, there’s an advisor who can help and charge an appropriate fee.

I recently worked with a couple in their 30s, expecting their first child, who were also selling their house and rolling over an old 401(k). We ran the numbers behind the decision to sell, walked through the rollover step by step, and talked through the expenses a newborn brings that most new parents don’t see coming. None of it was complicated on its own, but juggling all three at once is exactly the kind of moment a second set of eyes pays for itself.

We came up with a plan on when to sell the house and how to use the funds afterward. Rather than the 401(k) getting left behind, the couple was able to stay organized and move the funds to an IRA. As a dad with a two-year-old and another on the way(as of 2026), I was able to share in the excitement, set expectations about the costs of childcare, and help set a realistic budget for food and clothing expenses.

Financial Advisors Hired By Different Age Groups

Leaning on family and social media is popular for those under 50, while professional advice jumps to the top source of guidance for the over-50 crowd. Technology keeps getting better at understanding a person’s financial situation, but it’s no better at looking a human being in the eyes and building a relationship. You choose the venue you can afford for your wedding, the price you agree to for a house, and the daycare that fits your budget. You set the goals for your kid’s education, a new business, or an extravagant retirement. But those decisions are better made with another human in the room – someone who can ask the right questions and help you think through the answers.

There’s no perfect way to compare surveys across the decades, but the trend is clear: About 21% of U.S. households used a financial planner in 1998. That grew to 41% by 2025. Technology has grown a lot this century and so has the number of people paying for real financial advice.

Use technology to your advantage. YouTube has great content. LinkedIn is full of advisors sharing useful ideas. AI is fast and accurate for quick questions. But don’t forget about a real advisor. Chances are, they’ve already worked through your same questions – both for their own finances and for other clients too. We track your progress toward your goals. We’re honest when work needs to be done, and we celebrate your wins with you. An experienced money manager can work alongside you to uncover your blind spots, get you organized, and help with all things finance.

Don’t assume you’re the wrong age or have the wrong net worth for an advisor. Don’t underestimate the power of a human relationship when it comes to working toward a goal. It may take a bit to find the right match, but whether you’re 30 or 70, a conversation will help.

The right time to get a money manager is now.

Contact me, check out my newsletter, or visit my website. I offer meetings or a free net worth analysis if you want a clearer picture of your finances. There will be no obligation, no product pitch, just a conversation about where things stand.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I look forward to connecting with you.

Sources

Gallup, “Americans Still Turn to People for Financial Advice,” April 2025 panel survey (n=2,036): https://news.gallup.com/poll/660467/americans-financial-advice-rooted-people.aspx
Marriage.com, “Average Age of Marriage in the U.S.”: https://www.marriage.com/advice/pre-marriage/average-age-of-marriage-by-state/
CDC/NCHS, “The Rising Age of Motherhood in the United States,” June 2025: https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2025/06/13/7780
NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (median first-time buyer age: 40), via Wolf Street: https://wolfstreet.com/2025/12/05/nar-says-typical-first-time-homebuyer-age-was-40-in-2025-up-from-33-in-2021-but-is-this-accurate/
Redfin, “The Typical First-Time Homebuyer Is 35 Years Old,” 2025: https://www.redfin.com/news/median-homebuying-age-2025/
Financial advisor usage over time: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (21% of households, 1998); CFP Board / Penn Schoen Berland survey (40%, 2015); Gallup panel survey (41%, 2025)