There are objective criteria. Your advisor should be independent. Your advisor should have strong professional credentials. Your advisor should be experienced. Your advisor should have a spotless regulatory and compliance record. Your advisor should only be compensated for services provided to you, not for financial products in which you invest. Your advisor should be a fiduciary, and therefore, be required to do what is best for you.

There are subjective criteria. You should like your advisor. You should trust your advisor. You should feel totally comfortably expressing your interests and concerns with your advisor.

The best way to find an advisor is to first identify a handful of advisors that meet the objective criteria. Then meet those advisors and select the one who best meet your subjective criteria. Too often people start with the subjective criteria and never get around to checking into the objective criteria.