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Last week’s column focused on the challenge for financial advisors, in our current divided and chaotic political landscape, to provide accurate economic information even when it may not align with a client’s political biases. Now, let’s look at that same dilemma from the client’s perspective. How can you be sure the information and recommendations your advisor offers you are not biased by their political views?
This is not an abstract concern. Financial advisors and other professionals are potentially as vulnerable to bias as their clients. Even someone with strong professional credentials and skill can view financial systems and economic information through a highly partisan lens. This can lead to skewed assumptions and recommendations that may have a direct impact on clients’ finances.
Markets and economies function on legal certainty, institutional integrity—including the independence of the central bank which insulates monetary policy from short-term political motives—and policy predictability. Each is now uncertain or under threat. One sign of eroding trust in the financial system is the fact that in 2025, the Economic Policy Uncertainty Index hit record highs.
In this environment, which weakens the foundation for reliable financial advice, it is more essential than ever for financial advisors to focus on economic realities. This includes basing their recommendations on established economic principles even when those principles are politically inconvenient.
If you want to confirm that this is what your advisor does, here are a few suggestions:
Become willing to consider your own potential biases. This includes evaluating your own sources of information. I recommend getting news from several sources and prioritizing those with minimal bias. Consider analysts like Michael Smerconish, who curate news across the spectrum. Several helpful tools for exposing bias are Media Bias/Fact Check, Ad Fontes, and Ground News.
Ask the advisor about their sources and processes. How do they verify information? What tools do they use to check bias? Professional advisors should have systematic approaches to information quality. This includes a clear, consistent method for separating spin from substance.
Ask how they separate their personal preferences from the economic evidence. Listen for answers rooted in fundamentals, not in partisan talking points. Some red flags would include advisors who:
- Alter their analysis depending on who is in office.
- Dismiss warnings from neutral institutions as partisan.
- Promise investment results that are tied to elections.
- Dismiss policy risks that contradict their personal views.
- Blame poor performance on political outcomes rather than taking responsibility for strategy.
- Substitute political commentary for economic analysis.
Perhaps the biggest red flag of all is an advisor who is unwilling to have a conversation about possible political biases. Your financial well-being depends on what your advisor believes is real. If they substitute political expediency for professional clarity, you carry the risk.
Advisors have a fiduciary duty to protect their clients’ interests. In 2025, that includes stating facts plainly—even when they may cause conflict or offense. It includes maintaining ethical standards under pressure. It includes honesty about uncertainty, not false reassurance.
Economic facts are more visible through a balanced lens. If you and your advisor hold contradictory political views, chances are that neither of your perspectives will be the “right one.” The facts and the truth about possible economic outcomes often lie somewhere in the middle.
That neutral ground is the all-important space for you and your advisor to have your conversations. It is the place where an ethical advisor will tell you what you need to know, not what you—or they—want to believe. In times of economic uncertainty, professional guidance is essential—but only when that guidance remains grounded in facts. Your financial future depends on nothing less.
Rick Kahler, MS, CFP®, CFT-I™, CeFT®, CCIM, is the founder of Kahler Financial Group, a Rapid City, SD-based fee-only Registered Investment Advisor.
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
