How a financial planner knows that a potential client does not suit him

• Financial planner Krista Cavalieri has found that a client willing to commit immediately with her would probably not be a good choice in the long run.
• She advises taking the time to plan, choose and work with a financial planner, rather than doing it on a whim.
• That's because your finances have to be an ongoing project and the people who are doing best with it are deliberately choosing to engage in the long term.
• Need help with your money? The free SmartAsset tool can help you find a financial planner near you »

Financial Planner Krista Cavalieri of financial planning firm Evolve Capital, based in Ohio, has been working in financial planning for almost 10 years. She discovered a trait that suggests that someone may not be quite ready to start working with her.

"For me, the sign that someone might not agree is someone ready to sign on the first day," she says. Taking your time to engage with a financial planner is one way to show that you are really engaged, says Cavalieri, and that you think critically about your decision. After all, you make a financial decision when you decide to work with a financial planner. It is therefore interesting to show this planner that you can think clearly about all financial decisions.

Cavalieri suggests taking his time in all parts of this choice, deciding to consult a financial planner, choosing the right one, and finally getting involved.

"It's not as much what they say as what they do," says Cavalieri. A big red flag for her? "Impulsive buying they did not think of," she says.

"Excessively impulsive people tend to jump head first, but then they fall," she adds. In his opinion, it is important to think carefully and get involved before working with a financial planner. Those who arrive on a whim do not often draw as much from this experience.

"With your finances, it must be a long-term thing," said Cavalieri. Just as with a financial planner, those who do the best, in his opinion, are the ones who can think about the big picture.

But, she finds that those who come in with a goal and those who are hired can be very successful with a financial planner. "Someone who is already engaged in his financial situation usually has the most success," Cavalieri said.

Need help with your money? The free SmartAsset tool can help you find a financial planner near you »