Many of us like to think that we can handle almost anything on our own. This can be especially true when it comes to money. It seems like a waste to pay someone else to tell us what to do with our money. After all, you know what you want to accomplish — and why do you need someone to take care of the situation when there are so many free tools available online?

There are times, though, when you do need professional financial help. Be honest about your situation, and watch for the following 3 signs that professional help is warranted with your finances:

1. You Feel Overwhelmed

If you are looking at your finances and you feel overwhelmed, it might be a good time to get professional help. Whether you think that you will never dig out of your debt hole, or whether you just aren’t sure that you can wade through all of the paperwork for your taxes, feeling overwhelmed is a sign that professional help might be needed.

I started hiring an accountant to prepare my taxes when I began feeling overwhelmed with the paperwork associated with my business and my investments. Having an expert help me out is worth the cost, and I feel much more confident about my tax situation.

2. You Aren’t Reaching Your Goals

When you continually set financial goals, but habitually fail at meeting them, that might be a sign that you need some outside help to get you on track. A financial professional can help you figure out whether or not you are being realistic about your goals. You can get help tweaking your goals so that they are achievable, and you can also get helpful pointers on strategies you can employe to help you reach your goals. If you can’t seem to get anything done, it might be time to see a financial professional to help you get on track.

3. You Don’t Have Time to Manage Everything

This is a problem that many high net worth individuals have. They don’t have the time to carefully consider every decision that they make. Instead, they hire money managers to take care of the details. You don’t have to go quite that far, though. If you are interested in getting helpful ideas about where to invest, or if you want to put together a detailed financial plan, or figure out how much you need to save for retirement, but you don’t have the time or energy to do all of the legwork yourself, a financial professional can help.

Choose a financial professional that isn’t going to be compensated based on selling you specific products. You can receive unbiased recommendations about where to invest, as well as help drawing up financial plans you can follow. You don’t need to pay someone else to manage your resources, but it can help to pay someone to provide you with a plan that you can implement.

Hiring a professional can also add a layer of accountability. If you have been slow to make plans or figure out retirement savings, you can turn to a professional to help kickstart your efforts.