Most people arrive at a first consultation with a vague sense of what they want — retirement, a house, less debt — but no clear picture of their current numbers. That is normal, but it also limits what the advisor can do in the time you have. The meeting becomes a fact-finding session instead of a planning session.
Start with your income and expenses. You do not need a perfect budget, but you should know your monthly take-home pay, your fixed costs, and roughly what you spend on everything else. If you have no idea, pull three months of bank statements and scan the categories. That alone gives the advisor a working baseline.
Next, gather your debts. List the balance, interest rate, and minimum payment for each loan or card. The order matters less than the totals. A planner needs to see whether your debt is costing you more than your investments are earning, because that changes the priority order of your plan.
Bring your asset statements too — retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, cash savings, and anything else you hold. You do not need to print every page, but a summary of balances and contribution rates helps. If you have an employer match, mention it. That is free money and it usually comes first in any recommendation.
Finally, write down your goals with rough timeframes. "Retire someday" is not a goal. "Retire at 62 with enough to cover 4,000 a month in today's dollars" is something a planner can work with. The same applies to a house purchase, a child's education, or a career change. You can revise the numbers later; the point is to give the conversation a direction.
One more thing: prepare your questions. Ask about fees, how the advisor is compensated, and whether they act as a fiduciary. Ask what happens between meetings and how often you will review the plan. These are practical questions, not confrontational ones, and a good advisor will answer them directly.
If you are still deciding whether a consultation is worth it, read about the different service formats available and how they compare. That context will help you use the first meeting well.