Criminal Defense Lawyers

You Just Got a FINRA 8210 Letter. Now What?

Look. You have 90 days. Ninty days before a FINRA suspension turns into a permanent bar from the securities industry. And when I say permanent, I mean permanent. It shows up on BrokerCheck forever. Shows up when clients Google you’re name. Shows up when future employers runs background checks. Forever. Gone. Completely gone.

If your reading this you probably just got one of these letters. Maybe it showed up at you’re house which is terrifying. Maybe compliance pulled you into a conference room and your stomach dropped. Either way your freaking out right now and honestly? Thats teh right reaction. This is serious stuff. Very serious.

But heres the thing—its also survivable if you dont completely screw it up. I’ve seen alot of people in your situation over the years. Some handle it well. Some don’t. The differance usually comes down to wether they take it serious from day one. Irregardless of what you might of heard, these cases are winnable—but only if you respond correctly.

What I’m gonna cover in this article: what an 8210 request actually is (not the lawyer-speak version), what the real deadlines are becuase everyone just says “respond promptly” which tells you nothing, how to actualy respond without making things worse, and what happens if you ignore it. Spoiler on that last one: nothing good. Really bad, actually.

Why Did This Letter Show Up in the First Place?

Before we get into how to respond lets talk about why your even getting this. Becuase understanding what triggered it helps you figure out whats comming next. I know what your thinking—you want to skip ahead to the “what do I do” part. But trust me on this. Context matters here.

Most common trigger? Customer complaint. Some client got upset—maybe they have a legit gripe, maybe their just mad they lost money in a down market, doesnt realy matter—and they filed something with FINRA. Could be about unsuitable reccomendations, churning, something you said in an email three years ago that they decided to read the worst possible way. The agency takes these seriously even when their completly frivolous. Thats just how it works. It is what it is.

Other ways this happens: routine exam at your firm turned something up. Or FINRAs surveilance systems flagged unusual trading patterns—and by the way they monitor like billions of transactions daily through their Cross-Market Surveilance system, its actualy kind of insane how much data they proccess. Or someone tipped them off. Could be a coworker, could be a competiter, could be anonymous. Or your firm terminated you and put something on your U5 that raised red flags. Or theres an arbitration that triggered a parrallel investigation. Or the SEC or state regulators refered something over. Theres basicly alot of ways this can happen.

And speaking of triggers—actualy, let me mention something else first. Sometimes you wont even know the real reason. Point is you probly wont know exactly why. The 8210 letter tells you what documents they want but not why they want them. Thats intentional—they dont want to tip you off about what their actualy looking for. Could of been something from years ago that your completly forgot about.

And heres something important—dont assume you know what this is about. Definately dont tailor you’re response based off assumptions. Just answer what they asked. Completly and honestly. Thats it. Plain and simple.

What Even Is a Rule 8210 Request Anyways?

So FINRA Rule 8210. Basicly it gives the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority extremly broad power to demand information from anyone under their jurisdiction. Which includes you if your registered. Or if you was registered. Or if you were ever associated with a member firm even if that was years ago. The jurisdicton thing is way broader then most people realize. Way broader.

What can they demand? Pretty much anything. Documents related to your work at the firm. Testimony under oath—thats called an OTR, On-the-Record interview, well get to that later. Records in your “posession, custody, or control” which is legal speak for stuff you have access to even if you dont technicaly own it. Answers to questions about transactions, client interactions, why you did what you did. Bank statements, brokerage records, emails—you name it, they can probly ask for it.

The scope is honestly kind of insane. Were talking expense reports, bank statements, emails, text messages, client files, outside buisness activity records. Basicly anything FINRA thinks might be relevent to whatever their investigating. And “relevent” is pretty broad when their the ones deciding what counts. I should of mentioned this earlier—they can even request personal financial records in some cases.

Heres what makes 8210 differant from a regular request though: its not optional. This isnt them asking nicely. Its a regulatory demand wiht the force of law behind it. Ignoring it isnt risky—its career suicide. I’m not being dramatic here. Its literaly career suicide. For all intensive purposes, an 8210 request is the same as a court order.

I should mention—actualy, thats a whole other issue. The rule applies to former associated persons too. Even if you left the industry years ago, FINRA can still come after you for stuff that happend while you was registered. There’s no statue of limitations on their authority to investigate. None. Zero. Which is why some people get these letters completly out of the blue years after leaving the buisness.

Now, there is three types of 8210 requests you might recieve. First… wait, let me back up. The most common type is document requests—they want records, files, communications. Second is information requests—they want you to explain something or provide details about transactions. Third is testimony requests—the OTR interview. Sometimes you get all three. More on this later.

The Real Deadlines—Not the Vague Stuff Everyone Else Tells You

Everyone says respond promptly. Super helpful right? Let me give you actual numbers becuase thats what you actualy need.

Typical deadline in the letter: 14 days. Two weeks. Fourteen days from when you recieve the letter to when FINRA expects your complete response. Which is basicly nothing if their asking for years worth of documents or stuff you dont have immediant access to. Its a rediculous timeline, honestly.

But—and this is critical—extensions are normal and expected. FINRA knows fourteen days is unreasonable for most requests. They set short deadlines knowing you’ll ask for more time. And if you ask professionally and show your making a genuine effort to comply? They usualy grant it. Probly will grant it, I should say—I dont want to guarentee anything. Multiple extensions for complex cases is totaly normal. This is important so I want to make sure you actualy hear it. Extensions are your freind here.

Realistic timeline looks more like this: you get the letter, freak out (totaly normal reaction by the way), hopefully call a lawyer within like 48 hours. Your lawyer contacts FINRA within teh first week to request extension. You start gathering documents while thats proccessing. Extended deadline ends up being 30 to 60 days from original reciept, sometimes longer for complicated requests. I’ve seen cases were it took 90 days just to gather everthing.

And then—actualy let me back up because this part is realy important—after you submit your response, prepare for silence. Like alot of silence. 3-6 months without any communication from FINRA is completly normal. That silence doesnt mean your in the clear but it also doesnt mean somethings wrong. It just means their reviewing. Investigators have huge caseloads. Yours isnt their only file. The proccess takes longer then expected. Way longer then you’d think.

Some investigations drag on two years or more. You might get second adn third 8210 requests as things evolve. Or you might get a letter saying the investigation is closed with no action—thats obviously the best outcome. Or you might get a Wells Notice which means their considering enforcement. Basicly be patient but stay ready for anything. Its a waiting game at that point.

What Happens If You Dont Respond? The Consequenses Are Severe.

Seriously. This is the part that matters most. If you dont read anything else, read this section.

Some people think they can just… ignore this. Or delay indefinatly. Or maybe hope it goes away. They cant. It wont. The consequenses are devastating and I need you to understand exactly how devastating. Not trying to scare you—well, actualy, I am trying to scare you. Because you should be scared.

The 90-day clock works like this: you fail to respond, FINRA suspends you from associating with any member firm. That suspension lasts untill you comply. But heres the critical part—if you dont comply within 90 days that suspension automaticaly converts to a permanent bar. Automatic. No hearing. No appeal. Just done. Finished. Over.

Permanent. Forever. Your career in securities is over. Period. Done. Finished. Kaput.

This matters. It realy, realy matters. A FINRA bar isnt just some regulatory sanction or slap on teh wrist. Its career ending. And it cascades into everthing else you do. The affects are far-reaching and permanant.

Your bar shows up permanantly on BrokerCheck which is public and searchable by anyone—clients, employers, your mother-in-law, whoever. Most states will revoke or deny you’re securities license based off a FINRA bar. State insurance regulators often takes action too. The CFP Board will probly revoke your certification if you have one. And good luck getting hired anywhere in financial services ever again with a bar on your record. Its not happening. Trust me on this. I’ve seen it happen to many, many people.

552 disciplinary actions. Thats how many FINRA filed in 2024—a 22% increase from the prior year according to the Eversheds Sutherland 2024 sanctions study. First increase in disciplinary actions since 2016. Enforcement is ramping up not slowing down. This is not the year to be casual about an 8210 request. FINRA has became much more agressive. Much more. The days of them going easy on people are basicly over.

The monetary penaltys are brutal too. Non-response gets you $10,000 to $50,000 in fines plus the bar. Partial response: $5,000 to $20,000 plus possible suspension. Late response: $2,500 to twenty thousand dollars plus suspensions ranging from three months to 2 years. Studies show that most respondants who ignore 8210 requests end up barred. The statistics are not in your favor if you dont respond.

Look. Those fine numbers might seem managable compared to loosing your entire career. And thats exactly the point. The fine isnt the real punishment. The bar is. Loosing everthing youve built over years or decades. Having to explain to every future employer why you cant work in securities anymore. Thats the punishment. The real punishment.

And one more thing—never lie in your response. I cannot stress this enough. False information in an 8210 response isnt just a FINRA problem. Its a potential federal crime. FINRA refers cases to the SEC and DOJ. People have went to prison. Actual prison. Federal prison. For lying to regulators. Whatever your trying to hide by lying is absolutly not worth that risk. I’ve seen it happen. The cover-up is always worse then the crime.

You might be thinking “but what if I just dont remeber something?” Thats differant. Saying “I dont recall” when you genuinly dont remeber is fine. Lying about something you do remeber is a crime. Theres a big differance. A huge differance. Make sure you understand that distinction.

How Do You Actualy Respond? A Step-by-Step Guide

Okay so you understand whats at stake. Now what do you actualy do. Heres the practical part your looking for.

First thing: get a lawyer. Today. Not next week. Not when you have more time. Today. Your probly wondering if you realy need one and yes you absolutly do. This is definately not DIY territory. An experianced FINRA defense attorney knows how to interpret exactly what their asking for, how to request extensions without looking evasive, how to protect you from self-incrimination, how to negotiate with FINRA staff, and how to prep you if testimony gets requested. The cost is a fraction of what you loose if you screw this up on you’re own. Trust me—you dont want to try and handle this yourself.

I’m just saying—the people who try to go it alone almost always regret it. Almost always. The few exceptions are usualy people who happen to be lawyers theirselves, and even then its iffy.

Second: notify your firm if your currently registered. Most firms require immediant notification of 8210 requests—its probly in your compliance manual somewhere. Anyways, dont discuss details beyond whats neccesary. Keep it to compliance personell who need to know. Dont gossip with coworkers about it. Loose lips sink ships as they say. You dont want rumors spreading around the office.

Third: request an extension. Your attorney handles this, which is another reason you need one. Standard request is something like: we represent so-and-so regarding your 8210 request dated whatever, due to the volume of documents and need to gather from multiple sources we respectfuly request X additional days, were commited to full cooperation and will provide documents on a rolling basis as they become available. Professional. Not defensive. FINRA staff usualy grants reasonable extensions when you demonstrate good faith. Their not trying to be unreasonable—they just have a proccess they have to follow.

There is several key steps after that. Fourth: start gathering documents. Common requests includes emails and communications related to the matter, text messages (yes they can ask for those), client files and account statements, trade confirmations, personal bank statements if outside buisness activities is involved, expense reports, OBA disclosures, notes and calenders. Its alot of stuff sometimes.

Dont destroy anything. Dont hide anything. Even if something looks bad—destroying documents after recieving an 8210 is obstruction and thats way worse then whatever the original issue was. Way worse. Not something you want to risk. I had a client once who—actualy, I shouldnt share that story. But lets just say it didnt end well for them.

Fifth: prepare the response wiht your attorney. Address each item in the request specificaly. Explain if requested documents dont exist or werent found. Be truthfull. Be complete. But dont volunteer stuff beyond what was asked—your not trying to help them build a case against you. Let your attorney review everthing before submission. Every single document.

Sixth: submit by the deadline and document everthing. Keep copies of what you submitted. Get confirmation of reciept. Then wait. The waiting is the hardest part, honestly.

What If They Want to Interview You? The OTR Proccess Explained

So what if FINRA doesnt just want documents? What if they want to question you under oath? This is were things get realy serious.

An OTR—On-the-Record interview—is exactly what it sounds like. Your sworn in. FINRA investigators ask you questions. A court reporter transcribes everthing. That testimony becomes part of the offical record and can be used in enforcement procedings against you. Its basicly like testifying in court.

Stressful. Yeah. Extremly. Very extremly stressful.

You have rights though. You can have an attorney present—and you definately should. You can ask for clarafication on questions you dont understand. You can decline to answer stuff that might incriminate you—though FINRA can draw “adverse inferances” from you’re refusal and they can suspend or bar you for non-cooperation. Its complicated which is why you need a lawyer. In my experiance, unrepresented respondants do far worse. Much worse. Like, night and day differance.

Preperation is essential. Your attorney should do mock interviews wiht you beforehand. Review likely questions. Help you practice answering clearly and concisely without rambling or volunteering extra information. The goal is honest accurate testimony—not memorized scripts but genuine preperation so you dont say something stupid under pressure. And believe me, the pressure is intense.

Traps to avoid. First, speculating or guessing when you dont know—just say “I dont recall” or “I dont know.” Thats totaly acceptible. Second, volunteering info beyond what was asked—answer the question and then stop talking. Third… actualy, I’ll come back to that. Getting defensive or argumentative is another big one. Contradicting your written response is a huge problem too. All of these can sink you. Any one of them can turn a winnable case into a loosing one.

Real talk: OTR interviews can make or break an investigation. People have talked theirselves into more trouble then they was originally in. I’ve seen it happen more times then I can count. Take this seriously. Prepare thorougly. And for Gods sake, dont try to wing it.

The interview itself usualy lasts several hours. Sometimes a whole day. You’ll be asked about everthing—your background, your work history, specific transactions, specific clients, what you was thinking when you did X or Y. The investigators are trained to spot inconsistancies. They’ve done this hundreds of times. You havent. Thats why preperation matters so much.

What About Parrallel SEC or Criminal Investigations? When Things Get Realy Complicated

Sometimes the 8210 isnt your only problem. Sometimes theres also an SEC investigation. Or a federal criminal inquiry. This creates serious complications. Very serious.

Heres the tricky part. In criminal matters you have Fifth Amendment rights—you can refuse to answer questions that might incriminate you. But in FINRA matters refusing to cooperate typicaly results in automatic sanctions. FINRA can draw adverse inferances from silence and they can suspend and bar you just for not cooperating. Its a catch-22 situation basicly.

Creates an impossible choice sometimes. Answer FINRAs questions to avoid regulatory sanctions but those answers could potentialy be used against you in a criminal case. Invoke the Fifth to protect yourself criminaly but face certain regulatory sanctions. Either way your in trouble. Its like being stuck between a rock adn a hard place.

No easy answer here. Well, probly no easy answer—I should say it depends on the specifics. An attorney experianced in both FINRA defense and criminal matters can help you navigate this. Sometimes you can negotiate with FINRA to delay the regulatory proceding untill criminal matters resolve. Sometimes the best strategy is cooperate with FINRA while carefuly limiting what you say. Every situation is differant. Thats why cookie-cutter advice is dangerous in these situations.

Also know that regulators share information. FINRA, SEC, federal prosecutors—they all talk to eachother. Alot. Documents you give FINRA can be shared with the SEC or DOJ. Your 8210 response isnt just for FINRAs eyes. Could end up wiht prosecutors building a criminal case based off what you told FINRA. The Commission has became increasingly agressive about sharing. Way more then they use to be.

Which is why you have to be truthfull. Lying to FINRA doesnt just create regulatory problems. Creates potentail criminal exposure for making false statements. And lying becomes way easier to proove when multiple agencies is comparing your statements across differant procedings. If you tell FINRA one thing and the SEC another thing, someones gonna notice. Guarenteed.

What Happens After You Submit Your Response? The Waiting Game

So you’ve gathered all the documents, worked wiht your attorney, submitted everthing on time. Now what? Now you wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Like I mentioned earlier, 3 to 6 months of silence is totaly normal. FINRA is reviewing your submission, comparing it to other evidence they have, maybe interviewing other people. Their not in any rush. You might be loosing sleep over this but to them its just another file on someones desk.

During this time, stay ready. Keep copies of everthing. Dont delete any documents that might become relevent later. Stay in touch wiht your attorney—not obsessively, but maybe check in every month or so. Dont discuss the investigation wiht coworkers or freinds. Basicly keep your head down and keep doing your job.

Possible outcomes after FINRA reviews your response. First, they could close the investigation with no action—thats the best case senario and it happens more often then you might think. Second, they could send you a cautionary letter, which is basicly a warning but no formal discipline. Third, they could request more documents or information—another 8210 letter, back to square one. Fourth, they could request an OTR interview if they havent already. Fifth, they could issue a Wells Notice, which means their considering formal enforcement action. Sixth, they could file formal charges.

If you get a Wells Notice, thats serious but its not the end. You have the oppurtunity to submit a Wells submission—basicly your argument for why they shouldnt pursue charges. Many, many cases get resolved at this stage through negotiation. Settlements are common. Reduced sanctions are possible. This is were having a good lawyer realy pays off.

One thing worth knowing about: FINRA Regulatory Notice 19-23 established a “substantial assistance” credit program. If you provide signifigant cooperation that helps FINRA’s investigation—for example, identifying other violations or assisting wiht evidence—you may recieve reduced sanctions. This doesnt mean you should incriminate yourself, but it does mean that cooperative respondants often fare better then combative ones. Your attorney can advise on wether this strategy makes sense for you’re situation.

How Much Is This Going to Cost Me? Lets Talk About Legal Fees

I know what your thinking. All this talk about hiring lawyers—what does it actualy cost? Everyone wants to know this but nobody wants to ask.

Honest answer: FINRA defense isnt cheap. But its way cheaper then loosing your career. Everyone agrees on that point. The math is pretty simple when you think about it.

Costs vary by complexity. Simple document-only 8210 response runs maybe $5,000 to $15,000—could be less if its realy straightforward, could be more if theres alot of documents. Complex investigation wiht multiple requests: $15,000 to $50,000 or so. OTR preperation and attendance adds another 5 to 15 thousand depending on how much prep is needed. If you end up with a Wells Notice submission thats $15,000 to $30,000 typically. Full enforcement proceding through hearing: $50,000 to $150,000 or more depending on complexity. Could go even higher in extremly complex cases.

Numbers seem high right? But consider what your protecting. Successfull financial advisor making $200,000 plus per year—loosing your liscense means loosing that income potentialy for the rest of your career. Thats millions of dollars over time. Spending $20,000 on proper defense to protect a multi-million dollar earning potential isnt just reasonable. Its the only rational choice. The end result of not getting representation is usualy much worse. Way worse.

Many attorneys offer payment plans or flat-fee arrangments for specific stages. Some will handle just the initial response then see what developes. Key is getting representation early when it costs less and can do the most good. Waiting untill your facing formal charges means more work, more risk, more expense. Dont be penny wise and pound foolish as they say.

I should probly mention—some people try to use their firms lawyers for this. Thats usualy a mistake. The firms lawyers represent the firm, not you. Their interests and your interests might not be aligned. In fact, often their not aligned at all. Get your own attorney. Independant counsel who works for you and only you.

How This Effects Your Form U4 and U5 Records

If your registered, your regulatory history shows up on Form U4 and Form U5. These forms are publicly searchable through BrokerCheck. An 8210 investigation can effect your record in ways you might not of expected.

Disclosure requirements are complicated. U4 requires you to disclose formal investigations were your named as a subject, complaints and arbitration claims, terminations for cause, criminal charges, bankruptcy stuff. Just recieving an 8210 doesnt automaticaly trigger disclosure—FINRA sends thousands every year and many result in no action. But if the investigation results in formal charges, settlement, or disciplinary action, that definately requires disclosure.

Your firm might also have internal policies requiring you to report 8210 requests to compliance even if theres no formal disclosure obligation. Failing to do that can create problems wiht your employer even if FINRA ultimatly takes no action. Its basicly a lose-lose situation if you try to hide it from them.

If you leave the firm while the investigation is pending, your U5 will probly reflect that theres an ongoing investigation at time of departure. This effects your ability to move to another firm. Potential employers always ask about pending regulatory matters. Its one of teh first things they check, actualy.

If the investigation results in a bar or suspension—thats permanant on your U5. Visible on BrokerCheck forever. Everyone who searchs your name sees it. Clients, competitors, future employers, everybody. Theres basicly no way to hide it.

The best way to protect your regulatory record is to handle the response properly from the begining. Cooperate fully, respond truthfuly, work wiht an attorney who knows how to minimize regulatory exposure. If you get no action or a cautionary letter instead of formal discipline, your record stays alot cleaner. Thats the goal—resolve this without permanant marks on your record.

Common Mistakes That Destroy FINRA Defense Cases

Before we wrap up let me warn you about mistakes I’ve seen destroy peoples cases. Avoidable errors that turned managable situations into career-ending disasters. I probly shouldnt share some of these stories but their instructive.

Mistake #1: Ignoring it. Some people think FINRA will just forget about them. They wont. They send follow-ups. Then suspend you. Then after ninty days, bar you permanantly. Ignoring doesnt make it go away. Makes it infinately worse. This should be obvious but you’d be suprised.

Mistake #2: Responding without a lawyer. I get wanting to save money. But this is like doing surgery on yourself to save on doctor bills. You might think you know what your doing. One wrong move causes irrepairable damage. Attorney cost is nothing compared to loosing your career. Just dont do it.

Mistake #3: Destroying documents. This is obstruction. Far worse then whatever original investigation was about. Once you get an 8210, you have a legal obligation to preserve everthing relevent. Deleting emails, shredding files, “loosing” records—turns a regulatory investigation into a potentail criminal case. I’ve seen this happen. Its not pretty.

Mistake #4: Lying. I keep saying this becuase its so important. False statements can result in criminal charges. Incomplete responses result in additional sanctions. The truth, even uncomfortable truth, is always better then deception consequenses. Always. No exceptions.

Mistake #5: Talking to coworkers. Creates additional witnesses. Spreads rumors. Can taint other peoples testimony. Keep the investigation between you, your lawyer, and compliance personell who need to know. Thats it. Nobody else.

Mistake #6: Waiting til the deadline. Some people get the letter, panic, freeze. Watch the deadline approach without doing anything. Then scramble last minute wiht a rushed incomplete response. Start working immediantly. Every day you wait is a day you dont have to prepare.

Mistake #7: Assuming its no big deal. Maybe FINRA’s just going through the motions. Maybe theres nothing to find becuase you did nothing wrong. Maybe true—but innocent people have been sanctioned becuase they didnt take it seriously. Treat every 8210 like your career depends on it. Becuase it does.

Mistake #8: Fighting wiht the investigator. FINRA investigators are doing their job. Being combattive doesnt help—it hurts. Professional cooperation demonstrates good faith. Usualy leads to better outcomes. Save the fighting for when it actualy matters. Pick your battles wisely.

Mistake #9: Overthinking it. Some people get so paranoid they cant function. They analyze every word, every comma, every possible interpretation. Yes, you should be carefull. But at some point you gotta just respond and move on. Paralysis by analysis is a real thing. Dont let perfect be the enemy of good enough.

Mistake #10: Not following up. After you submit your response, you might think your done. Your not. Stay in contact wiht your attorney. Be ready for additional requests. Dont assume no news is good news—sometimes it is, sometimes it isnt. You gotta stay engaged through the whole proccess. It aint over till its over, as they say.

I could probly list more mistakes but those are the main ones. The common thread through all of them? Not taking it seriously enough, or taking it too seriously in the wrong ways. Finding that balance is what an experianced attorney helps wiht.

What Should You Do Right Now? Your Action Plan

So heres the bottom line. You got a FINRA 8210 request? Act immediantly. Not next week. Not after you think about it. Now. Today. This very moment.

Contact a FINRA defense attorney within 24 to 48 hours. Your career depends on this. I’m not exagerating. This is that serious.

Do not ignore the request. Do not delay without requesting an extension. Do not destroy or hide documents. Do not lie. All of these things will make you’re situation worse. Much worse. Way worse. Infinately worse.

Notify your firms compliance department if aplicable. Their gonna find out anyway, so better it comes from you.

Start gathering documents while your attorney handles communications wiht FINRA. The sooner you start, the better.

Tell the truth. Always. Whatever your trying to hide isnt worth the consequenses of getting caught in a lie. I’ve seen cases were the cover-up was worse then the original conduct. Many times, actualy. More times then I can count.

At Spodek Law Group our team—led by managing partner Todd Spodek—has extensive experiance defending financial professionals in FINRA investigations. We understand what your going through becuase weve helped hundreds of people in situations just like yours. Weve seen the panic when that letter arrives and weve helped people navigate through to successfull outcomes. Our Brooklyn office is ready to talk to you today at 212-300-5196.

Remember: you have 14 days. You have ninty days before a suspension becomes permanant. You have one chance to handle this correctly. The clock started ticking the moment you recieved that letter.

Call now. Career on the line. Time isnt on you’re side. Dont wait another day. Dont wait another hour. The longer you wait, the worse this gets. Thats just the reality of the situation. Pick up the phone and call. You’ll feel better once you have a plan.