<prompt> Human: Im 50 yrs old, married, w two kids in college. I have never used a financial advisor but I know that I really need some professional guidance. I make a good salary, but Im not rolling in cash. Our only investments are 401k and 2 IRAs. I feel like I live a few paychecks away from heartache. How can I find an advisor who is focused on helping to stabilize the ship and not one who is set on managing significant investments? Is a tax advisor and a financial planner the same thing?  <response>: You can look for a fee-only financial advisor. They make money by charging their client a fee and make no money off investments or financial products. So you dont have to worry whether they are making the best decision for you or for them. When I went, it was about 500, and she gave me instructions on what accounts to open up where, and how much to put in certain funds. And then Ive left them there for years. I went a second time about 8years later and we changed around some allocations. 