The essential questions to ask a financial adviser in 2025

If you are an expat or international professional living in Europe and are searching for a professional to help you set out a financial plan, manage your money, and advise you where and how to invest to grow your wealth, you should do your research to make sure you are in the right hands.

Working with the right financial planner for you can be transformative. Good financial advice adds value, saves your time, reduces stress, and helps you achieve your goals.

To find that right adviser, here are 8 key questions to ask:

1. What license to you have?

When you are in the EU it is vital for your protection to ensure the person you are speaking with, and their company, are appropriately licensed. They should have an investment license from a well-regarded EU regulator. Where and how they are licensed will inform you of their expertise and how you are protected.

They should also have permission to operate in the country you are in, if their license is from another EU country. In the EU this is called passporting rights. You can check this on the website of the regulator. If you are unsure, always check.

Black Swan Capital is proud to have an investment firm license from the Dutch regulator, the Authority for Financial Markets (www.afm.nl). This is among the highest standards in Europe. Our license has also received certificated passporting across all member states in the EU. 

2. Are you (really) independent?

A firm that is independent is obligated to act in your best interest at all times. Not all regulators require this. For some it is the lower standard of ensuring advice is appropriate.

We have and uphold this fiduciary obligation and take this very seriously for all our clients.

3. How do you get paid?

It is always important to understand what you are paying for, how much you are paying, and how the transaction is conducted.

A truly independent firm, like Black Swan Capital, will operate on a direct fee basis, that is we inform you in advance of the fees for our service.

Some firms may receive commissions, trail income, and other revenues or incentives from product providers. Always check. It may be argued these are paid by the product provider and not you, but the product provider will generally have to increase their product charges to cover these costs. These commissions and trail income payments are banned by the Dutch regulator and Black Swan Capital will never receive any payment or incentive from any product provider. The only factor influencing our recommendations for you is our focus is on delivering truly independent advice that is in your best interest.

4. Do you specialize in working with a specific kind of clientele?

It is wise to ask about the kind of clients the prospective financial adviser specialises in working with. You can then better assess if you are a good fit for them and if they will understand your situation.

At Black Swan Capital we specialise in working with international professionals living in Europe. That is expats, people with assets, liabilities or reporting obligations in more than one country, people living outside their home country, or those that have returned home having lived abroad. It is a particular niche in which we have particular and deep expertise and understand the complexities of a multi country existence.

5. Do you have many clients who are in a similar position to me?

This is a smart question because you can check if they will have specific experience that can really benefit you. An example we are often asked about is having a US connection and reporting obligation. This is a complexity we are dealing with every week and can assist on.

6. What services do you provide to your clients?

Asking this question will give you an insight into how they view their clients and what services you can expect to receive. This can help you decide if they will be the right adviser for you.

We answer this question by stating that Black Swan Capital provides objectives-based financial planning and investment advice specifically for international professionals living in Europe. This includes financial planning, goal setting, investment planning and ongoing financial advice and investment management. We aim to meet with our clients at least twice a year to ensure their plans remain relevant and that they are on track to realising their objectives.

7. What is your investment philosophy?

Understanding an advisor’s investment philosophy and approach can be insightful, not only for understanding their philosophy but also for uncovering biases.

At Black Swan Capital our approach is driven by the fact that we are objectives-based financial planners. This means your goals drive the investment portfolio construction. We have a centralised investment selection committee which assesses and reviews investments across asset classes and types.

We then make portfolio recommendations based on what is most appropriate for you. We have no bias for or against shares, bonds, ETFs, funds, property, discretionary portfolios, precious metals, or any other regulated asset. The combination of being objectives-based and being truly independent means we construct investments based on what is optimal for you.
One thing we are clear on: we will never tell you what the next hot trend is in the markets. Oh, and we will never chase last year’s winners. Our approach is focused on understanding your targets and the best route to achieve them.

8. How am I protected in the event of things going wrong?

This is a fundamental question that is linked to the first question about licensing. If a firm is licensed there will be regulatory protections in place. A firm should provide you with their terms and conditions and copies of their complaints procedure. Before you engage with Black Swan Capital we will provide you with our full terms and conditions, including protection and complaints.  

These 8 questions can help you to make this important decision from a position of knowledge and strength.

If you would like to know more about how we may be able to help you, and if you would like to ask us these or any other questions, reach out and arrange an obligation-free meeting. You can contact us via our website here, or by email to info@blackswancapital.eu.