Whether you’re selling a house, choosing tax strategies or making a retirement portfolio, handling complex financial situations on your own can lead to costly mistakes, missed opportunities and possibly legal issues. Money expert Rachel Cruze advises partnering with various types of financial advisors who have the knowledge to help you make better decisions and ensure you’re building wealth properly.
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However, you should be prepared to put some time into finding trusted people who will focus on what’s best for your situation rather than just their profits from commissions or fees. In a recent YouTube video, Cruze highlighted nine questions to ask when attempting to choose the right financial advisors — three each for 21 Affordable Small Cities To Retire on the East Coast, tax and investing professionals.
Asking an agent this question might help you avoid having your home on the market for too long. It will give you an idea of the agent’s selling skills and experience to compare with other potential agents.
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also suggested asking related questions about the types of properties the person has sold and their neighborhoods.
Cruze discussed how the schedule of Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck agents can widely vary and impact your experience. For example, a full-time agent might be more dedicated to helping you any day of the week versus someone who occasionally sells houses as a side job. Make sure the potential agent has the time to meet with you when you’re available and will be committed.
Cruze said, “When it comes to commission, it’s gotten a little complicated over the last few months, so I would go ahead and just ask upfront what their expectation is.”
This advice applies whether you’re on the buying or selling side. Consider the agent’s response and how it could tap into your home’s profits or out-of-pocket costs.
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Similar to when choosing a real estate agent, you should ask about a potential tax professional’s workload since it suggests how much time they can dedicate to you. The experience can be very different with a solo tax preparer dedicated to a small group of customers versus someone from a large CPA firm juggling hundreds of clients.
Cruze discussed how situations like divorcing or moving to another state could impact your taxes, and recommended asking about the tax professional’s expertise in these trickier areas. Their response can also give you insight into their experience level. Take time to think through financial situations that might impact you so you can bring them up.
Whether you like talking to your tax professional at their office or over a video chat, make sure you have the same expectations for when and how often you’ll meet. Cruze said that it is especially important to pick someone who will be around to help you out if you happen to have a question or face a situation that requires tax advice.
An investment professional will usually receive either a commission or a fee. To Cruze, neither compensation method is really a dealbreaker, but you should still ask about it and consider your comfort around the arrangement.
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Cruze said, “I think the way they’re compensated could make you maybe feel a certain way, but also to know the value that you’re getting and that you feel good about that is really important.”
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission advised getting clarity about fees that seem complex or misleading, as well.
When picking someone to help manage your wealth, discuss your goals and ask the investment professional whether they’ll honor them. Avoid picking someone who might push you to make decisions that aren’t what you want or in your best interest.
Cruze said, “Remember they’re working for you. This is your money, so make sure that they respect your plan.”
An example Cruze gave was ensuring an advisor understands an investor’s focus on paying off their mortgage while sticking to a 15% investment contribution. Some investment professionals might encourage that person to put more money into the market, or choose riskier investments.
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Even if your situation is currently simple, it’s worth checking on your investment professional’s experience with complex clients and situations. Cruze mentioned that issues can arise as you become wealthier and deal with taxes and diversified assets.
Picking someone comfortable with these situations from the start can save you from having to switch advisors later. According to Cruze, it can also help with building wealth more wisely.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Rachel Cruze: Ask 9 Questions To Choose the Right Financial Advisors
Cornell University administrator Warren Petrofsky will serve as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ new dean of administration and finance, charged with spearheading efforts to shore up the school’s finances as it faces a hefty budget deficit.
Petrofsky’s appointment, announced in a Friday email from FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra to FAS affiliates, will begin April 20 — nearly a year after former FAS dean of administration and finance Scott A. Jordan stepped down. Petrofsky will replace interim dean Mary Ann Bradley, who helped shape the early stages of FAS cost-cutting initiatives.
Petrofsky currently serves as associate dean of administration at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
As dean, he oversaw a budget cut of nearly $11 million to the institution’s College of Arts and Sciences after the federal government slashed at least $250 million in stop-work orders and frozen grants, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
He also serves on a work group established in November 2025 to streamline the school’s administrative systems.
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Earlier, at the University of Pennsylvania, Petrofsky managed capital initiatives and organizational redesigns in a number of administrative roles.
Petrofsky is poised to lead similar efforts at the FAS, which relaunched its Resources Committee in spring 2025 and created a committee to consolidate staff positions amid massive federal funding cuts.
As part of its planning process, the committee has quietly brought on external help. Over several months, consultants from McKinsey & Company have been interviewing dozens of administrators and staff across the FAS.
Petrofsky will also likely have a hand in other cost-cutting measures across the FAS, which is facing a $365 million budget deficit. The school has already announced it will keep spending flat for the 2026 fiscal year, and it has dramatically reduced Ph.D. admissions.
In her email, Hoekstra praised Petrofsky’s performance across his career.
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“Warren has emphasized transparency, clarity in communication, and investment in staff development,” she wrote. “He approaches change with steadiness and purpose, and with deep respect for the mission that unites our faculty, researchers, staff, and students. I am confident that he will be a strong partner to me and to our community.”
—Staff writer Amann S. Mahajan can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at amannsm.38. Follow her on X @amannmahajan.
My spreadsheet reviewed a WalletHub ranking of financial distress for the residents of 100 U.S. cities, including 17 in California. The analysis compared local credit scores, late bill payments, bankruptcy filings and online searches for debt or loans to quantify where individuals had the largest money challenges.
When California cities were divided into three geographic regions – Southern California, the Bay Area, and anything inland – the most challenges were often found far from the coast.
The average national ranking of the six inland cities was 39th worst for distress, the most troubled grade among the state’s slices.
Bakersfield received the inland region’s worst score, ranking No. 24 highest nationally for financial distress. That was followed by Sacramento (30th), San Bernardino (39th), Stockton (43rd), Fresno (45th), and Riverside (52nd).
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Southern California’s seven cities overall fared better, with an average national ranking of 56th largest financial problems.
However, Los Angeles had the state’s ugliest grade, ranking fifth-worst nationally for monetary distress. Then came San Diego at 22nd-worst, then Long Beach (48th), Irvine (70th), Anaheim (71st), Santa Ana (85th), and Chula Vista (89th).
Monetary challenges were limited in the Bay Area. Its four cities average rank was 69th worst nationally.
San Jose had the region’s most distressed finances, with a No. 50 worst ranking. That was followed by Oakland (69th), San Francisco (72nd), and Fremont (83rd).
The results remind us that inland California’s affordability – it’s home to the state’s cheapest housing, for example – doesn’t fully compensate for wages that typically decline the farther one works from the Pacific Ocean.
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A peek inside the scorecard’s grades shows where trouble exists within California.
Credit scores were the lowest inland, with little difference elsewhere. Late payments were also more common inland. Tardy bills were most difficult to find in Northern California.
Bankruptcy problems also were bubbling inland, but grew the slowest in Southern California. And worrisome online searches were more frequent inland, while varying only slightly closer to the Pacific.
Note: Across the state’s 17 cities in the study, the No. 53 average rank is a middle-of-the-pack grade on the 100-city national scale for monetary woes.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
The up-and-coming fintech scored a pair of fourth-quarter beats.
Diversified fintech Chime Financial(CHYM +12.88%) was playing a satisfying tune to investors on Thursday. The company’s stock flew almost 14% higher that trading session, thanks mostly to a fourth quarter that featured notably higher-than-expected revenue guidance.
Sweet music
Chime published its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results just after market close on Wednesday. For the former period, the company’s revenue was $596 million, bettering the same quarter of 2024 by 25%. The company’s strongest revenue stream, payments, rose 17% to $396 million. Its take from platform-related activity rose more precipitously, advancing 47% to $200 million.
Image source: Getty Images.
Meanwhile, Chime’s net loss under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) more than doubled. It was $45 million, or $0.12 per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2024 deficit of $19.6 million.
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On average, analysts tracking the stock were modeling revenue below $578 million and a deeper bottom-line loss of $0.20 per share.
In its earnings release, Chime pointed to the take-up of its Chime Card as a particular catalyst for growth. Regarding the product, the company said, “Among new member cohorts, over half are adopting Chime Card, and those members are putting over 70% of their Chime spend on the product, which earns materially higher take rates compared to debit.”
Today’s Change
(12.88%) $2.72
Current Price
$23.83
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Key Data Points
Market Cap
$7.9B
Day’s Range
$22.30 – $24.63
52wk Range
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$16.17 – $44.94
Volume
562K
Avg Vol
3.3M
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Gross Margin
86.34%
Double-digit growth expected
Chime management proffered revenue and non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) guidance for full-year 2026. The company expects to post a top line of $627 million to $637 million, which would represent at least 21% growth over the 2024 result. Adjusted EBITDA should be $380 million to $400 million. No net income forecasts were provided in the earnings release.
It isn’t easy to find a niche in the financial industry, which is crowded with companies offering every imaginable type of service to clients. Yet Chime seems to be achieving that, as the Chime Card is clearly a hit among the company’s target demographic of clientele underserved by mainstream banks. This growth stock is definitely worth considering as a buy.
