Where you're starting from

Five questions, none of them scored. They tell me what's driving this, which changes what I'd put in place rather than whether you're ready.

What's prompted you to look at this now?

Three years from now, where do you want to be?

What's already in place around you?

If you decided to act on this, when?

Have you put a number on what independent advice is worth to you?

Worth knowing before you go looking: Australian retainers for an experienced independent chair generally start around $6,000 a month. Below that you are buying less of something rather than the same thing at a discount, and the result will tell you which trade you are making.