After nearly 10 years as a financial planner, the first 2 questions I ask every client have nothing to do with money

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Starbucks Coffee Shop Meeting

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First, we're talking about coffee.

When I start working with a new client, I need to know everything - and I mean everything - about their finances. From monthly expenses to account balances to credit card interest rates, no detail is too small.

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But before we get into the financial minutiae, I ask two questions that have nothing to do with money, yet tell me more than a pile of bank statements ever could.

1. What is your favorite Starbucks drink order?

In many ways this is a simple question. I've learned over time that caffeine comes in handy when talking about personal finances. Without it, the risk of glazed-over-eyes syndrome increases significantly, especially during the first meeting. So, I always come prepared with the client's beverage of choice.

But, truth be told, I have an ulterior motive for asking this question. What you buy at Starbucks reveals something to me about how you spend your money.

In my experience, if you prefer a basic drink like a venti black coffee or a tall cappuccino, you're probably not a big spender in other areas. If your order is more elaborate, like a venti iced skinny hazelnut macchiato with sugar-free syrup and light ice, then I'll brace myself for a conversation about budgeting and scaling back. And, if you respond by telling me how much you hate Starbucks and only drink premium espresso from a pricey independent cafe, then I'll expect to have a frank discussion about maxing out your retirement accounts because your disposable income may be higher than it should be.

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These are just observations of course, and are not based on any kind of data or science. I ask many more questions during the meeting to get an accurate perspective on a client's approach to spending. But more often than not, the Starbucks question holds true.

2. What are your goals?

Financial planning should never be a cookie cutter experience. Before I start calculating a savings strategy for a new client, I have to understand their goals.

If you want to get married, buy a home, and start a family in the next five years, your financial plan is going to look a lot different from someone who dreams of visiting 30 countries before turning 30.

The goals have to come first, then the money follows. Once I know a client's vision for the future, I can do the math on how to get there from here. Spoiler alert: You might have to give up your daily coffee, unless you'd rather cut back in other areas. It's not my job to tell you how to spend it day-to-day, as long as you're on track to meet your goals.

Don't worry though. If you do give up buying coffee, I'll still have a venti iced skinny hazelnut macchiato with sugar-free syrup and light ice for you next time we meet.

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Lauren Lyons Cole is a certified financial planner and Business Insider's Your Money Editor.

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