Below are questions that may be helpful as a starting point when interviewing 
potential professionals whose services you may wish to engage such as Private Bankers, 
general legal counsel, tax attorneys, CPA’s, investment bankers, financial planners, or 
any expert whose advice upon which you would ever base important decisions.  

The IQD Team
www.theiqdteam.com


1.  How long have you been in practice?

2.  Is this what you do exclusively?

3.  Ask for client references.  (They may not feel comfortable to give individual 
names as references, but more often will provide companies for which they 
perform services)

4.  Let them know an approximate range of wealth for which you are getting their 
advice, and ask if that is a range with which they are either experienced or is that 
the range of their typical client? 

5.  Ask if you followed their advice and if there would be a regulatory, tax, or 
legal problem, would they be there for you during the audits, meetings, or 
legal proceedings until the situation is resolved?  

6.  Ask if their services/work or they themselves are insured, guaranteed, or 
bonded, and up to what limits? 

7.  Ask if they have had personal experience defending or arbitrating for clients 
in the field they are in 

8.  In those situations did they prevail, or were they able to successfully
represent or defend their clients?

9.  Ask for their education, certificates, licenses, and/or certifications they 
have achieved or have earned.

10.  Ask them for any professional memberships or associations in which they may 
be a member in good standing.

11.  Ask them if they offer any incentives, perks, etc for their clients.  

Also, please make sure you check out their standing with state bar associations 
or licensing bureaus.  Check out the FINANCIAL tab at www.theiqdteam.com for 
additional information on checking the background of professionals.