I'll bet many of us would rather endure a colonoscopy than meet with a financial planner. Either way we're going to be asked very personal questions and suffer through physical or financial probing.

Only 11 percent of Minneapolis residents have developed a written plan to address their financial goals with an advisor, according to a 2015 Planning & Progress study. for Northwestern Mutual. Any of us can easily come up with reasons that we avoid planners.

1. They're going to tell me I'm not saving enough.

2. They're going to ask how much money I make.

3 They're going to put me on a strict budget.

Here's the good news: At a free event called Financial Planning Day, anyone can sit down with a financial planner for 15 to 30 minutes where you control the questions. Maybe it's a single question that you've been afraid to ask, such as "What is a good, free retirement calculator that I can find online that can tell me if I'm saving enough for retirement?" You could ask to have a planner explain the differences between a Roth IRA and a Roth 401(k) or simply, "Can I afford to buy a different car?"

Attendees can bring along a limited number of financial documents, but they should limit their questions to the most pressing ones.

Best of all, this is truly a no-strings event. Advisors who volunteer their time for the one-day event are not allowed to hand out unsolicited business cards or ask for personal contact info. You will not hounded for months just because you met with a planner for 20 minutes.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at 451 N. Lexington Pkwy., in St. Paul. Go to the website for details about the schedule.

The event has gained popularity in its six years. The free sessions are held between 10:45 and 2, but there have been wait times during peak periods.