Which questions should I ask in a first consultation?

A first consultation works best when you treat it like a structured conversation rather than a sales meeting. The questions you bring shape what kind of advisor you end up with — and most experienced advisors expect (and welcome) thoughtful questions on a first call.

A few worth asking:

• How many expat clients do you work with regularly, and from which kinds of situations? This filters quickly for actual cross-border experience.
• How do you handle cross-border topics — foreign accounts, pensions across countries, RSUs, double taxation, exit planning?
• What does your typical first-year process look like? A "let's pick a product today" answer is very different from "let's understand the full picture and then build a structured plan".
• Will I receive a written summary of recommendations? A good advisor is comfortable putting their recommendations on paper, with reasoning.
• What happens if I decide not to sign anything after our conversations? The answer tells you whether the advisor sees you as a long-term relationship or as a transaction.

The advisor's comfort with these questions is itself a signal. Confident, experienced advisors take them in stride and answer concretely. Vague or defensive answers — to expat experience, cross-border handling, or what the first-year process actually looks like — usually predict the kind of relationship you'd have later.

Bringing a short prepared list to your first meeting is genuinely worth doing, even if you only end up asking three of the questions on it.