Personal Financial Advisor A personal financial advisor is a professional who provides financial advice and services to clients according to their specific needs. While they often go hand-in-hand, they can diverge. By comparing results against risk tolerances, managers can decide whether to proceed with certain investments or projects. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that his communications plan could be so much more. Larger financial advisor firms—especially those that are active money managers—often have a research team or department devoted to investment analysis and asset selection.