<prompt> Human: How much should I expect to pay for a good financial advisor? where should I look and what criteria should i assess them for?How should I prepare beforehand to maximize what I get out of the service they offer? I have student loans in default, some weird hospital bills, and some general questions from not having been taught anything about money growing up.I need to spend as little as possible while still getting good advice so what is the most efficient way to do thisbalancing , time, quality?--edit: legit, guys, this is how behind i am at this, i asked a completely stupid question. dont downvote, help me. pretend youre explaining how the world works to a three year old.  <response>: These arent the things you usually hire a financial advisor for. Its usually to invest money, buy life insurance, etc. and they usually make money by commission selling you those things, either at the time of the transaction or a of assets. In other words, financial advisors help people with money, not those without money, because those without money cant pay...Figuring this out yourself isnt that hard and you should take control of your own finances anyway. If youre really stuck with this you might be able to hire an accountant or CPA for 50-100hour or something and they can give you advice. But you really shouldnt outsource your own finances.If you post detailed questions here youll get pretty good advice. Start from the top! 