When you start looking ahead toward retirement, it can feel like the investment choices to fund your future are endless.

Whether you’re considering buying stocks or taking out life insurance or annuities, it helps to have a knowledgeable and trustworthy financial advisor by your side. If you want to know where to start, here are some questions to ask your FA to help you plan well.

1. What is your experience as a financial advisor?

Finding someone you can trust to help you understand the big financial picture is crucial. You may also want to ask questions like, “How many market cycles have you helped other people through?” and “What is your philosophy on retirement and investment?” Whether they advise you to go the investment route or take out life insurance, asking these questions can help ensure you feel comfortable with your advisor.

2. How will you give me updates about my investments?

At the very least, your financial advisor should communicate with you every four to six months—if they can do it monthly, that’s even better. Ask them to schedule regular updates and meetings to review your portfolio and provide any educational material to help increase your financial knowledge.

3. How much money will I need to save?

The answer depends on what you expect your retirement to look like. You’ll need to cover costs like housing, groceries, and health care. Beyond basic needs, your savings must also support your desired lifestyle. This includes any goals or dreams you have for your golden years. Maybe you want to travel the world or volunteer for and contribute to charitable causes. Your financial advisor will help you account for these factors and plan accordingly. They may also be able to advise you on best practices, such as delaying your social security claims to potentially receive 8 percent more benefits per year.

4. When can I retire? 

Although the standard retirement age is sixty-five, it’s important to consider your unique financial position. A good financial advisor will look at your current income, assets, and debts to determine when you will most likely be able to retire. If you have debt like student loans or a mortgage, they might advise you to work longer or make plans to pay off debt before retiring.

5. How can I make sure I have enough money to support my retirement?

After you and your financial advisor estimate how much you would need per year based on your retirement plans , they’ll make a suggestion for how you can accumulate the funds. The right assets and investments can contribute to growing a fund that can support you when you retire.

For instance, fixed-income investments like annuities pay out like a salary and may help you avoid running out of savings, while other assets like stocks and exchange-traded funds focus on long-term investment growth to assist in potentially growing the money you already have. Your advisor will help you decide on the most reliable options for you.

6. Who takes over if something happens to you?

A big part of preparing for retirement is covering all your bases and minimizing risk as much as possible. This question will help you understand the process of ensuring your money is safe should your advisor be unable to continue as your point person for any reason, such as if they retire or move to another firm. You should know—and possibly meet—the advisor who would take responsibility for your retirement funds and investment portfolio in such an instance.

When planning for retirement, it’s essential to do your research and ask the right questions, and having a knowledgeable financial advisor you trust can make this process easier. They’ll help you prepare for retirement in ways that suit your lifestyle and financial goals.