How to Choose a Financial Advisor: What to Ask, What to Check & How They Get Paid w/ Allie Beckmann

How to Choose a Financial Advisor: What to Ask, How They Get Paid, & How to Check Them Out How do you choose a financial advisor? Most people pick one the way they pick a doctor — a referral, a good feeling, and a lot of hoping for the best. In this episode, Part 1 of our Women in Advisory series, Stephanie sits down with Allie Beckmann, founder of Liberated Financial, to pull apart how the industry actually works and what you should be asking before you hand someone your money. Allie’s path to finance was not a straight line. She spent 15 years as a professional actor and director, ran social justice theater programs in schools and detention centers, taught yoga, and built a corporate wellness business. The pandemic took all of it overnight. Three years after entering the industry, she registered her own firm. Together we discuss: What makes someone leave a career they love? What’s the difference between a broker dealer and an RIA, and why does it matter to you? How do you look up an advisor’s license, work history, and infractions for free? How do financial advisors actually get paid? What should you ask before hiring one? What’s it like to be one of the few women who own their own firm? Why does she start every client relationship with a values exercise instead of a balance sheet? Can you build an advisory practice without a finance background? Chapters 00:00 “Just ask how they get paid” 00:49 Meet Allie Beckmann 02:12 From professional actor to financial advisor 03:20 How the pandemic forced a career change 05:33 The values that made finance make sense 07:52 Year one in the industry 10:35 Why the commission model stopped working 13:37 Getting let go a month into her exit plan 17:10 The one fear that almost stopped her 18:57 What a custodian is and why it matters 19:38 Why she stopped serving DIY investors 20:52 Broker dealer vs. RIA, explained 23:07 How to look up any advisor for free 23:46 How advisors get paid, and what to ask 24:47 How many advisory firms are women-owned? 25:56 Learning to sell without being a douchebag 29:17 Why every client starts with a values exercise 30:10 The client who moved across the country 34:10 Advice for the huntresses 35:31 What does rich mean to you? Women in Advisory is a series exploring how the financial advisory industry works, who it works for, and what it takes to build gender equity inside it. About Allie Beckmann, RFC® Allie Beckmann is the founder of Liberated Financial, a fee-based, independent financial planning firm. Her path to finance ran through the arts, social justice, wellness, and trauma-informed care — a background she credits for how she works with clients today. Her practice combines data-driven strategy with emotional intelligence, and she’s known among her clients as something closer to a financial therapist than a traditional planner. 🌐 https://www.getliberatedfinancial.com/ 💼   / alliebeckmann   Keywords: fiduciary, fee-only financial planner, BrokerCheck, adviserinfo, career change into financial advising, independent advisory firm