Hiring a financial advisor is something a lot of people don’t think to do. But in reality, it could be an important step toward meeting your financial goals. But you don’t want to hire any old financial advisor.

I’ve been using a financial advisor since about my mid-30s. And frankly, I probably should’ve gotten myself one sooner. To be clear, my job is to write about personal finance, investing, and planning for retirement.

When I was growing up, my parents did their best to teach me about money. They highlighted the importance of having a savings account and explained why credit card debt is something to try to avoid at all costs.