A financial advisor helps people manage their investments, plan for retirement and save money for their financial goals. Financial advisors also suggest strategies, investments or other assets that will help their clients’ money grow.

If you find taking care of your finances and planning for the future to be overwhelming, a financial advisor can certainly help. If you feel confident investing your money, you may not need one.

While financial advisors aren’t for everyone, they can help you navigate the tricky and often confusing waters of how to organize your finances. If you recently had a big life change (you got married, had a child, lost a family member), it can be helpful to work with a financial advisor to help you understand your new financial landscape.

This really depends on what you’re willing to spend, and what products you’re looking for. There are a couple robo-advisors — digital investment management services — that charge no management fees. Others charge around 0.25% of your account balance.

Then, there are online financial advisors and traditional in-person financial advisors. Traditional financial advisors will often charge 1% of your assets or a flat fee — for example, you might pay $2,000 - $5,000 for a comprehensive plan. Online advisors like the ones on this list typically charge a bit less than that.

The difference between a financial advisor and a financial planner is like the adage about squares and rectangles: A financial planner is an advisor, but an advisor isn’t necessarily a planner.

What you look for in a financial advisor will have to do with your needs and priorities. Online advisors are (for the most part) less expensive, but some people prefer to meet with a local advisor; a face they can come to know and trust.

It might also depend on what you want your advisor to do. For example, if you’re concerned with creating a specific type of portfolio or investing in alternative assets like cryptocurrency, you might prioritize finding an advisor who knows that strategy. But if staying within your budget comes first, and if you’re just starting to build an investment account, it often makes sense to go with a low-fee robo-advisor.

What sort of service you choose to take care of your money is a matter of your needs and comfort level.

Financial advisors have the advantage of being able to develop a relationship with you over time. They might know more about your family, your job and your life in general — thus giving them better insight into your financial needs. Unfortunately, they’re typically more expensive than a robo-advisor, but that cost premium may be worth it to you.

Robo-advisors are a great choice if you only want investment management.