What should you ask a financial advisor?

• Have you worked with people like me? All of us are unique individuals. Yet, you do share certain characteristics with others — age, income, family situation and so on. And you might feel comfortable knowing that a financial advisor has worked with people like you and can readily understand and appreciate your needs and specific goals: college for your children, a certain type of retirement lifestyle, the kind of legacy you'd like to leave and others. The more information you can provide about yourself upfront, the better your chances of finding a good match.
• Do you have a particular investment philosophy? Some financial advisors follow a particular investment style, while others might focus on specific investments or categories. There's nothing inherently wrong with these types of approaches, but you might be better served by working with someone who takes a broader view — one that emphasizes helping clients meet their goals over any particular philosophy or strategy.
• How will you communicate with me? Open and frequent communication are key to a successful relationship with a financial advisor. So, you'll want to know what you can expect. Will you have annual or semi-annual reviews of your accounts? In between these reviews, can you contact your advisor at any time with questions you may have? How will an advisor notify you to recommend investment moves? Is the financial advisor the individual you'll communicate with, or are other people involved?
• How do you define success for your clients? Some investors track their portfolios' performance against that of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. But these types of benchmarks can be misleading. For one thing, investors should strive for a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds and other investments, whereas the S&P 500 only tracks the largest U.S. stocks. So, when you talk to potential financial advisors about how they define success for their clients, you may want to look for responses that go beyond numbers and encompass statements such as these: "I'm successful if my clients trust me to do the right things for them. And, most important, I'm successful when I know I've helped my clients reach all their goals."
• How are you compensated? Financial advisors are compensated in different ways — some work on commissions, some charge fees, and some combine fees and commissions. There isn't necessarily any best method, from a client's point of view, but you should clearly understand how a potential advisor is compensated before you begin a professional relationship.

Congressman Neal Highlights Successes of Pandemic Legislation

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
01:33PM / Tuesday, December 09, 2025

Congressman Neal was chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee when the legislation was implemented. He says he will continue to advocate for funding for businesses, science, education and medicine. 

CHARLEMONT, Mass. — Federal pandemic funds made available during the Biden administration were critical to ensuring the continuation of Berkshire East, a major employer in the hilltowns.  

 

"Every single one of those programs, whether it was PPP, Employee Retention Tax Credit, played an integral role in Berkshire East, keeping it going," said owner Jon Schaefer. "And it was a panic at times." 

 

U.S. Rep. Richie Neal, standing next to Schaefer in the main lodge at the ski resort on Monday, said he wanted to remind people of the successful interventions like the Paycheck Protection Program and Employee Retention Tax Credit that saved local businesses. The congressman also touted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the American Rescue Plan Act and the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

 

"So on an overall basis, consider the way that America rebounded from the pandemic so much better than the rest of the world," said Neal, who was chair of the powerful Ways & Means Committee when these programs were implemented under Democratic leadership.

 

"Really large employers or people at the top of the income strata in America, they were able to hold on what they had. The challenge that we had was getting the cash flow for people who really needed it, and the immediacy of it was essential for the work that we've done."

 

Many of these programs have sunset, but claims on the Retention Tax Credit are ongoing. 

 

The Schaefer family has owned and operated Berkshire East since 1976; they also own Zoar Outdoor, and Catamount Mountain Resort in South Egremont. Jon Schaefer said the company employs close to a thousand full and part-time seasonal people, and about 400 at each ski area during the winter.