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Advisor Quick Tips

Advisor Quick Tips

Featured Tips

Robust solutions for financial-planning clients

Allen Jenson is the founder and principal advisor at Caliber Financial Group, an advisory firm located in Foley, Minnesota. Mr. Jenson has over three decades of experience in the financial-services industry.

He says, “We engage with each client in a fashion that is most appropriate to their situation and their financial-planning needs. We use excellent software that facilitates a collaborative process and allows us to build a goals-based financial plan, develop a thorough retirement-income blueprint, and examine various real-life ‘what if’ scenarios customized for each client.”

He says his firm’s most robust financial plans may include many different elements, with strategies across these areas:

  • Retirement accumulation.
  • Investment growth and preservation.
  • Distribution and retirement-income planning.
  • Future tax planning.
  • Life-insurance planning and risk management.
  • Estate, legacy, and wealth-transfer planning.
  • Financial plan coordination with legal and accounting professionals.

Educational content informs prospects and clients

Daniel J. Bellina is the founder and president of Strategic Investment Services, an advisory firm based in Miami, Florida. His firm’s website presents regularly updated educational content and tools for prospects and clients, including videos, articles, slideshows, and calculators. In addition to his firm’s original content, he works with a third-party provider to send a frequent email stream of informative content to prospects and clients. He says this program “educates people who are potentially interested in working with our firm, or are already doing so, and also prompts top-of-mind awareness for our firm.”

Strategic Investment Services sends the following types of emails:

  • “Monthly Market Insights” covering market drivers for the preceding month; a review of market issues and the outlook for the month ahead; and data on broad market, sector, and economic performance.
  • “Monthly Retirement Insights” that deliver several timely articles related to important financial-planning issues, government-program updates, and lifestyle topics of interest to pre-retirees and those already retired.
  • Weekly emails on a wide variety of topics related to financial planning; retirement; insurance; investments; legacy planning; taxes and money; and health, safety, and lifestyle issues.
  • Weekly emails featuring practical “tips” on topics such as home security, travel, or college funding.
  • Periodic emails containing holiday greetings, “fun facts,” or messages of client appreciation.

A comprehensive guide to success as a financial advisor

Ivan Illan, AIF, CFS, is the founder and chief investment officer of Aligne Wealth Advisors Investment Management (AWAIM). AWAIM offers advisory services for individuals, families, and business owners, as well as a suite of proprietary investment strategies. AWAIM has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America, as well as the Financial Times “The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies” list.

Mr. Illan is the author of the Amazon best-selling book Success as a Financial Advisor for Dummies,” a comprehensive guide for both new and experienced advisors. Mr. Illan writes, “My guidance in this book, just as the advice you give (or should give) your clients, is holistic.”

This book covers six major sections:

  1. The basics of a career as a financial advisor: Self-assessment to see if this is the right career, joining a firm versus starting your own practice, understanding the regulatory and fiduciary landscape, and getting your practice started.
  2. Developing foundational knowledge: Identification of core competencies, educational paths, licensing, and the basics of a successful financial advisor’s skill set.
  3. Process of onboarding new clients: Targeting services to clients’ unique needs, developing personalized financial plans, due diligence and value-added guidance, and offering collaborative advice with other trusted professionals.
  4. Acquiring and retaining clients: Delivering superior service, marketing and visibility, building a referral network, and teaming up with other professionals.
  5. Transitioning from solo practitioner to effective business owner: Business structure and best practices, attracting and retaining talent, and business continuity and succession planning.
  6. Lessons learned from a seasoned advisor: 10 tips for being a successful advisor and 10 business-building activities.

A financial-planning blueprint addressing specific client goals

Ryan Barber is a financial advisor and vice president at the Saginaw, Michigan, office of VantagePointe Financial Group, a full-service advisory firm with multiple offices in the Midwest.

Mr. Barber says his firm has a financial-planning process that is “very thorough and precise.” This process provides a financial blueprint that identifies disciplines to be addressed as the client “builds their foundation toward financial success.”

Plan elements for clients generally include the following:

  • A comprehensive financial statement and financial-needs analysis.
  • Identification of goals and priorities.
  • Asset management and accumulation strategies.
  • Retirement-funding planning and strategies.
  • Income-protection strategies.
  • Risk-management and tax strategies.
  • Estate analysis and legacy planning.
  • Where appropriate, a variety of planning and financial solutions for business owners.

Robust and proactive investment planning for clients

Daniel J. Friedman is a founding partner and CEO of WMGNA Tax-Out Financial Solutions, an advisory firm headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. He says his clients’ investments are managed “individually, transparently, and proactively” according to the following four-step process:

  1. Define the investments. Mr. Friedman says his firm partners with some of the best providers in the investment industry. The firm’s TAMP relationship provides research and access to thousands of investments that were previously only available to the institutional community. The firm also has access to sophisticated hedge funds at significantly reduced minimums.
  2. Create a well-diversified portfolio that meets the client’s investment objectives, paying close attention to potential tax exposure. The firm’s independence and dual registration as an RIA and brokerage gives Mr. Friedman and other advisors at the firm the freedom to be investment-product agnostic and to seek opportunity within a robust universe of investment products and strategies.
  3. Guide clients to appropriate investments and strategies. The firm works with clients to select investments and strategies that help meet the clients’ goals, while also being focused on their risk tolerance, risk capacity, liquidity needs, tax situation, and comfort level.
  4. Monitor and maintain client investments. This includes making changes proactively based on progress versus objectives, the market environment, portfolio drifts, changes in money managers, and new opportunities that become available.

Financial education defines the advisor-client relationship

Lanny Marks, CPA, CFP, AEP, is a financial advisor and founder of Marks & Associates, located in Boca Raton, Florida. Mr. Marks says, “An educational focus remains at the forefront throughout the planning and implementation process, as I want to empower our clients by helping them understand the individual components of their financial plan and how they work together.”

After a first meeting with a prospective client, Mr. Marks follows up with a letter that captures key points of their initial discussion and reviews broad categories of potential investment alternatives. The purpose is to provide a basic educational foundation for further investment discussions during the financial-planning process. 

Specifics of the strategies presented vary by client but may include the following:

  • Fixed, CD-like investment alternatives with a guaranteed interest-rate return for a specified term. No exposure to equity market gains or losses. 
  • Indexed or index-linked investment products that generally provide some exposure to equity market gains, with different options on levels of downside protection. 
  • Variable investment products via mutual funds that provide full exposure to market gains and losses. 
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs).
  • Guaranteed lifetime income products, which may include a long-term-care feature.
  • Actively managed equity and/or fixed-income strategies that seek to respond to changes in market conditions.

3-pronged strategy for funding retirement income

Mark Mensack, AIFA, is the founder of Phronetic Retirement Advisors, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Mr. Mensack’s advisory practice focuses on financial, retirement, and investment planning. He is also the founder and chief ethics officer of Prudent Champion Inc., an independent fiduciary consulting firm.

Mr. Mensack says he has a somewhat unique approach to funding retirement income for pre-retirees and retirees. He says, “I often recommend a three-prong strategy consisting of a blend of dividend-paying closed-end funds, variable annuities with living benefits, and risk-managed tactical investment strategies.”

He says the benefits of each prong can be summarized as follows:

  1. The closed-end funds pay cash dividends whether the market is up or down, providing a source of income. These funds will not have to be liquidated based on market conditions, which helps counter sequence-of-returns risk. A diversified portfolio of closed-end funds can usually generate returns that are not far below the usual historical annualized return of the S&P 500.
  2. Variable annuities with living benefits are akin to turning a 401(k) into a pension. You can have a reliable income stream for the rest of your life, and your spouse’s life, just like a pension. And, unlike a pension, lifetime income can increase if the underlying investments do well. After the second spouse passes, heirs will receive the balance of the account.
  3. Tactical active management of primarily equity-based strategies can also be used to fund periodic withdrawals for retirement income. The value of the approach of the manager we use lies in their philosophy of “winning by not losing.” Their goal is to seek competitive returns in favorable market conditions while mitigating risk in poor market environments.

Planning that addresses the unique needs of business owners

Emrich M. Stellar Jr. is the founder of Stellar Advisor, a financial-services practice located in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. He is also a partner of Equity Strategies Group (ESG) and founding member of Lincoln National’s Business Intelligence Institute (BII). As a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC), he has been helping business owners grow and transfer their wealth for over 30 years.

Mr. Stellar says his firm’s goal is “to simplify the planning process to its essence, empowering business owners to make sound and appropriate decisions to move their enterprise and their financial situation forward.”

Stellar Advisor’s comprehensive services in this area include the following:

  • Analyzing the client’s present succession/exit plan.
  • Determining the effectiveness of the present plan and recommending appropriate changes.
  • Making a preliminary determination of the reasonableness of existing estimates of business value.
  • Illustrating the economics of the alternatives available to fund business agreements.
  • Discussing options to help minimize the tax liabilities incurred in business transfer transactions.
  • Facilitating the implementation of exit/transfer strategies agreed upon in the overall consultation process.
  • Coordinating the plan with estate arrangements.

Local visibility and community involvement help build a firm’s brand

Joseph St. Pedro is the founder and CEO of St. Pedro & Associates, located in Royersford, Pennsylvania.  For over three decades, his independent firm has been providing comprehensive financial and wealth planning for clients. He says that his firm’s commitment to the local community has been an important component in the growth of his firm and the ability to attract new clients.

Mr. St. Pedro says his firm has built a highly visible local presence in several ways:

  • His team members are very active in local charitable and civic organizations. Mr. St. Pedro is a long-standing member of the local Chamber of Commerce, served as an elected town supervisor, and held leadership positions in county and township organizations.
  • For several years, Mr. St. Pedro and his advisory team hosted a local cable television show, “Dollars and Sen$e,” that served as a source of financial education for viewers in the local area.
  • Mr. St. Pedro says his firm’s office complex, which has prominent signage, has been a local fixture for over two decades. The firm also uses outdoor advertising to further brand recognition.
  • His firm has held many client-appreciation events over the years, in many cases using the services provided by local businesses.
  • St. Pedro & Associates has worked professionally with many small-business owners in the area and civic organizations such as a volunteer fire department. This exposure helps spread positive word-of-mouth about the firm.

Infusing values into every client interaction

Benjamin (Ben) Barbour is co-founder and lead financial advisor at Fountainhead Wealth Advisors, located in Reston, Virginia.

Mr. Barbour says his firm is dedicated to an integrated financial planning and implementation process that is “designed to organize, simplify, and optimize all the crucial pieces of a client’s financial life—taxes, business, investments, real estate, insurance, retirement, estate planning, and philanthropy. The Fountainhead model goes beyond making referrals to experts and brings them into the conversation at the beginning of our engagements.”

Mr. Barbour says that the firm’s values, listed below, are infused into every interaction with clients:

  • Move at the speed of trust: We serve our clients by first educating and empowering them to make informed decisions. We understand that this takes time, which is why we will never rush or pressure you.
  • Strive for greatness: We measure greatness in terms of meaningful relationships, meaningful contribution, and measurable impact.
  • Seek solutions, always: Our clients think of us as a consultant and loyal friend they can turn to when they need help. We are committed to providing unbiased advice to achieve your desired outcomes.”

Offering client services rooted in strong values

Moses LaCour, MRFC, is the regional director for Southeast Texas at Money Concepts Capital. Pamela Mayfield-Kizzee, MRFC, is president of the Southeast Texas region at Money Concepts Capital. Both are financial advisors with LaCour Financial Services Inc. Their team serves clients with comprehensive wealth management, which includes financial planning, asset management, retirement-distribution strategies, college-funding and insurance strategies, and legacy planning, among other services.

Their practice is driven by a strong values orientation and a commitment to these principles:

  • A consultative approach looking at clients’ entire financial picture.
  • Commitment to providing high-quality wealth management and financial-planning services.
  • Understanding that wealth management is a process, not a product, which requires client coaching and mentoring.
  • Financial and investing planning informed by ongoing industry education.
  • The freedom to offer objective financial guidance and a wide range of nonproprietary products and services.
  • Robust technology that allows clients direct access to account statements, account values, holdings, transaction histories, and key personal documents online.

Online and physical document ‘vaults’ provide value to clients

Luis (Louie) Padilla, MBA, is the principal financial advisor and founder of Maryland Wealth Management (MWM), located in Sparks, Maryland. He says his firm was established “with the belief that the client relationship comes first.”

He adds, “Creating meaningful touchpoints with clients is part of our overall strategy for building relationships. We do this through a thorough financial-planning process, periodic client reviews, newsletters, and personal communications around important milestones in a client’s life.

“After every client update meeting or annual review, I upload documents and important action items from the meeting to a virtual ‘client vault’ that also contains important financial documents for each client. But I think we have a unique twist on that process. At the end of the first year of a client relationship, I also place a copy of their annual review or statement in a small safe that is fire- and waterproof and give that to the client. I also include a sheet listing all of the accounts they hold through our firm, with passwords. It also has space for other key accounts they would like to permanently record.

“They can keep this safe at their home, keep one key, and give one to their spouse or the executor for their estate. While the online ‘vault’ is invaluable, I find that this physical ‘vault’ is something they find very useful and valuable. They can use it to keep their updated financial documents, passports, social security cards, birth certificates, and so forth. The client feedback on it has always been very positive.”

RIA firm resource supports advisor entrepreneurship

Edgardo Castro, of Aragon Capital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, spent the early part of his career in the banking channel, working as a private banker and financial advisor with well-known national banks. He says, “I liked the banking channel and working for first-class organizations, but it became apparent to me that I really wanted to become an independent financial advisor and have the ability to pursue my own business plan.” Mr. Castro joined Aragon Capital in 2016 and was attracted to “the vision of the management team” and the opportunity “to work together in a mutually beneficial fashion.”

Aragon Capital believes its operating principles, listed below, make it an attractive RIA firm for growth-oriented advisors:

  • Our dedication forces clients to focus on their entire balance sheet, rather than simply on liquid asset performance in a vacuum.
  • Our marketing is focused on building our brand in the market and bolstering our wealth advisors’ referral-based marketing efforts.
  • Our team of experts in specific relevant domains … much like that of a family office.
  • Our dedicated research and portfolio management structure is available to assist in sales and service efforts.
  • Our education and knowledge is focused on building fundamental knowledge in our employees.
  • Our strong operational infrastructure, including capabilities such as client operations, trading, and compliance.

‘Client promise’ and core values inform firm’s practice management

Marc D’Elia is the founder and president of Premier Planning Partners and a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., based in Largo, Florida. His firm’s vision is to help clients “toward achieving financial freedom” and “help clients find enjoyment and success in improving the quality of their financial lives.”

He has articulated a “client promise” and five core values he thinks should permeate all of his firm’s interactions with clients:

Client promise

Working with our teams results in a personal financial road map and ongoing financial oversight that brings all elements of your financial life into one clearly focused picture.

Core values

  1. Honesty and integrity in providing objective guidance.
  2. Understanding of and empathy with our clients’ values and goals.
  3. Caring, reliable, and consistent communication.
  4. Comprehensive approach to financial planning.
  5. Value the importance of family and health in our clients’ lives.

Client advisory board provides critical practice feedback

Jeff McAvaddy is a registered representative and financial professional at Infinity Tax and Financial Planning, located in Largo, Florida. Mr. McAvaddy has over 18 years of experience in the financial-services industry and focuses on tax preparation, financial planning, investment management, and retirement-income planning.

Mr. McAvaddy says that an important component of his firm’s practice management is a client advisory board, which was set up several years ago and meets two to three times a year. Key aspects of the client advisory board include:

  • Client representation on the board may rotate over time to different clients.
  • Board members fill out a questionnaire before the meeting to suggest agenda items.
  • Open discussions are held with the board to share ideas for practice feedback and improvement—including suggestions on process, communication, products, and services.
  • The board meeting usually includes a dinner for members and the firm’s principals.
  • Board meetings are supplemented with regular client-appreciation events, often connected to a charitable purpose. Clients are encouraged to invite friends or associates to the events.

Getting started on a LinkedIn marketing program

Lannie Wright is the founder of Lannie Wright Financial Advisor, based in Carmel Valley, California. He says he “embraces technology” and has always been an “early adopter.” He believes social media is key to developing new client leads. He has seen the number of initial appointments leap higher for his firm through his use of targeted social media marketing using LinkedIn. (See his blogs on the topic here.) Mr. Wright’s articles provide detail on six steps to using LinkedIn effectively:

  1. Figure out what you want your LinkedIn account to do for you.
  2. Learn how to connect with more people.
  3. Get your (LinkedIn) house in order.
  4. Focus on the social media job every week.
  5. Follow the “10-Minute Daily Challenge.” (See his articles for more details on the challenge.)
  6. Connect with your connections!

CRM solution facilitates client touch points

Gary Wargo nurtures the growth of his practice through client-retention efforts, speaking engagements, networking in the community, and using a sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) platform. His CRM system facilitates client touch points and allows him to do the following:

  • Segregate clients by assets under management, creating A, B, C, and D classifications.
  • Schedule client review sessions according to these classifications.
  • Keep track of important client dates and trigger follow-up communications as appropriate.
  • Efficiently monitor critical client authorizations, signatures, and requirements.
  • Integrate client accounts from a variety of sources and generate reports and billing.
  • Provide a user-friendly client portal.

Set up “ideal” criteria for acquisition targets

Advisory firms can drive profitable growth through the acquisition of other practices that present a favorable opportunity for expanding a client base. As part of his current effort to acquire other practices, here are the “ideal” criteria John Zinaich (CFP, ChFC, CLU) looks for:

  1. The practice is well-established, has a long-term and stable client base, and the current owner is willing to work toward an efficient transition of the equity in current client relationships.
  2. There are long-term benefits to the client base of the existing firm in moving to a practice centered on holistic financial and investment planning.
  3. The practice includes services that complement his firm, such as tax planning.
  4. The practice should be small to midsized, with assets under management of at least $10 million.

Developing strong relationships through personalized financial planning

Sunny (Shuai) Wang is the president of Essence Wealth and Investment Services, located in Santa Clara, California. He wants to “develop client relationships that go far beyond a transactional nature” and employs a specific financial-planning process that he describes to clients in this way:

  • “Step 1: Getting to know you and the most important people in your life. Without knowing you and what’s important to you, how can I make sound suggestions on your financial future?
  • “Step 2: Setting goals. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you ever get anywhere? Let’s figure out where you want to be first.
  • “Step 3: Prioritize your goals. There are a lot of different things we’d like to accomplish in our lives. It’s impossible to achieve all of them at once. We have to prioritize what’s most important first and then develop a written action plan to attack other priorities in the future.
  • “Step 4: Initiate a plan of action. Having a plan without taking action is a waste of everyone’s time. My job is to make sure that you implement the plan within a reasonable period of time.
  • “Step 5: Review and improve. Planning should be an ongoing process. Like anything in life, plans and priorities change. I want to be there with you when they do and help you to create a sound financial life for you and your loved ones.”

Five principles drive firm culture

Steve Romano and Rebecca Foster are financial advisors at NFA Wealth Management in Edmond, Oklahoma. They both cite a strong, supportive firm culture and values orientation as important factors in their decision to join NFA. NFA says its core beliefs for the firm, its people, and its client relationships are “powered by the Five F’s”:

Faith—“While religious Faith is a personal choice, you must have Faith that we will support you.”

Family—“We believe your Family must come first.”

Finance—“We believe your Finances have to be in order, therefore we operate from financial strength vs. financial weakness.”

Fitness—“Fitness is both physical and mental, and we believe you must be Fit to be engaged in our business.”

Fun—“You must also have Fun. If you are not having Fun, then why do it? Here at National Financial Alliance, we believe you must make life enjoyable.”

Taking multiple approaches to new client development

Michael Kuczinski is the president and founder of Total Wealth Enhancement Group LLC, located in Millstone Township, New Jersey. His firm provides full-service financial planning, investment management, retirement-income planning, and eldercare and estate planning to a wide range of clients. Mr. Kuczinski says he uses multiple approaches to introduce prospective clients to his firm, including the following:

  1. Holding two-day financial education seminars for the general public at a local community college. The classes cover a broad range of retirement-planning issues under the umbrella theme of “Rethink Retirement.”
  2. Developing relationships and strategic alliances with estate-planning attorneys and CPAs who have practices related to the fields of income taxation and retirement and estate distribution planning. These relationships allow for potential cross-references from each firm’s respective client bases.
  3. Using his tax-preparation capabilities to introduce his firm to clients and businesses who may later be interested in comprehensive financial-planning services.
  4. Encouraging current clients to invite friends, family, and associates to attend lunch or dinner sessions where a variety of financial-planning issues and the current market environment are discussed in an informal setting.
  5. Developing a network of relationships within the specific target segment of state and local employees, including first responders.
  6. Maintaining a strong profile within his local community through a number of public service positions.

Conducting due diligence for third-party investment managers

Paul Balog is an independent financial advisor and investment portfolio strategist located in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He believes in “using multiple financial and investment strategies” in a manner that helps clients “work toward their goals and manage risk.” Mr. Balog says he has conducted extensive due diligence in examining the offerings of various third-party investment managers. The following are some of the factors he places the most weight on in his selection of managers:

  • The consistency of returns over full market cycles.
  • Transparency of investment philosophy, strategies, and execution.
  • The ability to mitigate risk in down market cycles, minimizing drawdowns.
  • Having diverse strategies suitable for investors with varying risk profiles.
  • Strong standards of integrity and a verifiable track record.
  • Excellence in research and rules-based strategy development.
  • A commitment to service and support.

Financial organization tips add value for clients

Oscar Alvarez is an independent financial advisor and the founder of Pathway Financial Planning. He says that organization is an important component of any client’s pathway to a healthy financial life. When working with clients, he offers guidance for systematically organizing key documents and records in the following areas:

  • Income-tax planning.
  • Investment planning.
  • Credit and debt planning.
  • College planning.
  • Retirement planning.
  • Insurance planning.
  • Estate planning.
  • Health-care records.
  • Key personal documents/online security.
  • Professional advisors/service providers.

Sharing advice from years of successfully training advisors

Clyde Cleveland is the co-founder of Impact Wealth Group, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His firm provides retirement-income planning and estate planning. Mr. Cleveland also spent about 10 years working with new and established financial advisors as the co-founder of Randall Marketing Group. The company’s “boot camps” provided extensive training in all areas of running an advisory practice. Mr. Cleveland says the following were five of his top teaching points:

  1. You must develop a system that puts you in front of potential clients on a consistent basis. That system must keep you busy with appointments all year long.
  2. Use the system our firm developed, it is proven to work, or create your own. But once you have a system that accomplishes point #1, follow it and don’t deviate.
  3. Never, ever rush a client. They should never feel you are trying to “sell” them. Take your time and respect your client’s decision-making process, no matter how many appointments it takes. Just make sure you keep setting future appointments.
  4. Always treat your client the way you would want your mother to be treated.
  5. Never take short cuts with due diligence or compliance—it can destroy your career.

Communicating a firm’s value proposition to prospective clients

Lem Kornegay is an independent financial advisor and the founder of Paladin Financial Services Inc., located in Glendale, Colorado. He says, “Our systems, procedures, and techniques have been refined by years of experience, helping make us an efficient and productive wealth-management company that helps to deliver value to clients.” He uses his website to communicate these benefits to prospective clients in the following manner:

  • Consultants, not “dictators.” We take a consultative approach in looking at your entire financial picture, working as a partner to develop a plan to help you get to where you want to go.
  • Committed. We are committed to providing you with the finest in wealth management and financial-planning services. We will work with you through a customized approach that meets your specific needs.
  • Understanding. We understand that wealth management is a process, not a product. As such, you receive ongoing money mentoring and coaching.
  • Educated. We attend a minimum of 30 hours of classroom education each year, over twice the industry average. We do this for one reason only—to better serve you with the latest in products, services, and tax strategies.
  • Independent products. We do not offer any proprietary products and can consider literally thousands of products in the financial-services industry. The only requirement is that the products or services meet your needs and desires.
  • Technology. View your account statements, account values, holdings, and transaction histories online. Use the online “Client Vault” to store all of your important documents in one place.

4 steps to guiding clients toward financial goals

Ken Lubkowski is an independent advisor with LPL Financial. Mr. Lubkowski’s practice, which is located in Seattle, is associated with Financial Advocates, located in Olympia and Tacoma, Washington. Mr. Lubkowski says his goal is to “provide clients with guidance that can help them understand and better define and meet their financial objectives.” He uses a well-defined four-step process with clients:

  1. Determining goals and objectives: We assess a client’s economic, investment, and lifestyle goals, as well as retirement plans and needs. We work to identify short-, medium-, and long-term investment targets.
  2. Developing a customized plan and investment strategy: We analyze the information from the first step and develop a strategy for investment and financial recommendations tailored to the distinct needs of the individual, consistent with their tolerance for investment risk.
  3. Implementing the investment strategy: We complete the process of structuring an investment approach, building a portfolio of investment vehicles that seeks to address the client’s specific needs, and implementing the strategy. This process includes spending time educating clients about the purpose and value of each element of their investment plan—and how these elements fit with their financial goals.
  4. Managing the portfolio and ongoing review: Our goal is to have an excellent communication process with each client, periodically review progress toward objectives, and make sure there is an opportunity for regular feedback.

The benefits of working with third-party investment managers

Diana Avery is the founder of Avery Financial Services, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and is an investment advisor representative of USA Financial Securities Corp. She says that using managed accounts and the services of third-party investment managers “provides several benefits for our firm and our clients,” including the following:

  • Sophisticated, rules-based investment strategies based on proprietary models.
  • Strategies and options for portfolio allocations that can emphasize strong diversification and risk management.
  • The ability to take advantage of tactical or active portfolio strategies that can respond in real time to different market conditions.
  • The ability to modify a client’s portfolio allocations if objectives or life circumstances change.
  • A variety of portfolio options that are appropriate for clients across many different risk profiles.

Five questions clients should consider when selecting a financial advisor

Jason Palmer is the founder of Resonant Financial Planning, based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. He says he employs “a professional, process-driven approach that resonates with clients’ values.” He has developed the following list of important questions that he thinks prospective clients should ask themselves as they consider working with a financial advisor:

  1. Do I want to find clarity and confidence in thinking about my financial future?
  2. Am I seeking an enduring relationship with a trusted advisory team?
  3. Do I value sound, competent advice that is based on my unique circumstances and reflects my best interests?
  4. How important is it to have a reliable resource to turn to with financial questions, challenges, and goal-planning?
  5. Do I proactively seek to improve my life and the lives of those I care about?

Client onboarding that addresses a variety of financial needs

Ron Hoyle, founder of Integrated Investment Systems Inc. has created a thorough client onboarding process for financial planning. The process is rolled out to clients during seven meetings over 90 days. Each meeting has a detailed agenda and set of action steps—except the last, which is held open. By the end of the process, Mr. Hoyle’s objectives for each client include the following:

  • Completing a thorough discovery process that covers the client’s financial picture and life objectives.
  • Developing an accurate assessment of the client or client couple’s risk profile.
  • Formulating a comprehensive financial plan that addresses short- and long-term objectives.
  • Creating a timetable for strategy implementation.
  • Implementing a team approach to a client’s total financial needs through a business model that includes relationships with professional-services firms.
  • Providing clients with tools to become better organized in their financial lives.
  • Setting up customized schedules for periodic client reviews.

Key criteria in evaluating third-party investment managers

Stephen Baldino and Susan Perry, partners at Baldino & Perry Associates Inc., provide holistic financial planning and a range of financial services to individual and business clients. They see their practice model as “being the conductor of the orchestra,” putting together a team of professionals they may call upon for assistance on a wide variety of issues in the financial realm. Among those professionals are third-party investment managers that can provide the following:

  • Outstanding, personalized service.
  • A range of strategic options, suitable for clients with varying risk profiles.
  • Sound money management and strong investment risk-management services.
  • Transparency and accessibility of senior managers.
  • The ability to effectively resolve problems.
  • Consultative services, especially for complex client cases.
  • An overall working relationship that fosters a sense of “partnership.”

A lifelong passion for knowledge creates a better advisor

Stephen Franklin of Kentucky Planning Partners (KPP) has been an independent financial advisor since 1984. He says that he is always involved in a “passionate effort to keep abreast of the latest trends in the very big world of global finance.” Mr. Franklin has taken several steps to build and refresh his knowledge base in seeking to benefit his clients. He recommends the following:

  • Conduct research on the many professional designation programs available to financial advisors. Select first those with the most immediate relevance to your practice and any areas of personal specialization.
  • Take advantage of continuing education programs, webinars, and conferences.
  • Consider enrolling in graduate-level certification programs in academic areas such as finance and securities analysis.
  • Develop your own disciplined research and reading program to stay current on developments within the industry and the overall economic and business landscape.
  • Give back to your community by teaching financial education classes to college-level students, senior citizens, and/or the public at large, focusing on your areas of expertise.

Meeting the needs of clients through faith-based financial planning

Cathy Jackson of Beacon Financial Group, LLC, is a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) and says she enjoys “helping families become more responsible stewards of their finances and, where appropriate, incorporating faith-based financial strategies as part of their financial and retirement plans.” Ms. Jackson identifies several attributes that clients desire related to this area:

  • They want to work with an advisor who applies biblical principles in their firm’s financial-planning approach.
  • They seek to become responsible stewards of their finances, with a commitment to family values, their faith, their church, and their community.
  • They value advisors with high standards of integrity who serve the needs of clients first.
  • They are interested in how faith-based principles can help inform their legacy planning and charitable giving.
  • They wish to work with an advisor who is experienced and maintains a commitment to excellence in their practice.

Facilitating new client referrals

Aaron Tice of Cirrus Retirement Solutions says that referrals from current clients and third-party professionals are critical to the continued growth of his advisory firm. He stays in constant contact with each group and facilitates client referrals by providing them with a credentials packet that identifies his firm’s product and services and fundamental operating principles. This packet includes the following five core principles, which he stresses when speaking with prospective clients:

  1. The independent status of his advisory firm.
  2. The unbiased nature of his firm’s advice.
  3. The comprehensive scope of his financial-planning process.
  4. A commitment to the highest standards of service for his clients.
  5. His firm’s dedication to developing customized and goals-based financial plans.

Pursuing a holistic ‘life approach’ to financial planning

Daniel Ruben, founder of Life Strategies Advisors, Inc., says the name of his firm was carefully chosen and informs how his holistic process works. He believes his role in working with clients is to help them successfully navigate what he calls “critical life events.” He has a grid he shares with clients in the planning process that covers five strategic life goals, with detailed priorities under each:

  • Clarifying a vision and plan for the future.
  • Balancing work and lifestyle.
  • Creating financial comfort.
  • Protecting and helping family.
  • Leaving a legacy.

Helping clients plan for life’s uncertainties

Steve White of Steven M. White Financial, LLC, believes in developing holistic financial-planning relationships with clients and their families. Mr. White has earned the Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC) designation and has a special focus in helping clients make sure they have strategies in place to manage unforeseen circumstances in the future. He helps clients focus on several key areas:

  • Do they have adequate life insurance to protect their family?
  • Do they have a trust or will?
  • Do they have patient advocate paperwork and a power-of-attorney document in place?
  • Do they have a plan for their own or their spouse’s long-term care?
  • Have they developed a comprehensive legacy plan?
  • Are there any special needs for children that must be considered?

Managing client relationships with a focus on efficiency

Chip Hill, founder of Chill Financial Group in Lexington, Kentucky, has a practice focus on serving the financial-planning needs of professionals in the medical and academic communities. He says these are “very busy people who appreciate working with a financial professional in an efficient and productive manner.” He takes a “project management approach” in working with his clients that includes the following steps:

  • Implementing a policy of transparency on fee and services disclosures at the start of the relationship.
  • Conducting a comprehensive and efficient onboarding process.
  • Identifying client resources and building out timetables for plan implementation.
  • Prioritizing client objectives, working systematically in addressing these needs.
  • Using time-saving technology for financial planning, client reporting, and communications.
  • Offering clients the option of conducting meetings “virtually.”

Expanding personal & professional networks while helping the community

Miranda Bonde uses an approach that is both humanistic and disciplined when helping clients with their financial lives. This approach has also allowed her to build strong personal and professional networks while exploring her passion for working with philanthropic causes, especially in the LGBT community. Here are a few ways she’s accomplished this:

  • She tries to help the underserved segments of the community who are looking for an advisor who places a premium on a supportive atmosphere, openness, and transparency.
  • By volunteering and serving organizations that she is passionate about, she has met like-minded and successful people who are natural fits as “ideal clients.”
  • She does not get involved in organizations simply to prospect for clients. She seeks to build quality personal relationships over the long term.
  • She believes in getting deeply involved, making a real contribution, being accountable, and exhibiting leadership skills. Demonstrating those qualities will ultimately lead to earning respect and trust.

Effectively managing the client investment process

Brian Mock of M&A Wealth Management employs a step-by-step process in working with wealth-management clients on investment planning. For most clients, he uses active money management that has risk management as one of its strongest priorities. His process for clients includes the following steps:

  1. Defining their investment time horizon and risk tolerance to set portfolio objectives and define expectations.
  2. Designing a portfolio solution that may include multiple traditional and alternative asset classes and strategic and tactical strategies.
  3. Implementing the investment plan based on the recommended management approach, allocations, and objectives.
  4. Managing the portfolio to the targeted objectives, using the services of third-party managers.
  5. Reporting on progress toward portfolio objectives on a regular basis.

How to efficiently manage client & prospect communication

Having a first-rate contact management program allows financial advisors to communicate on a regular basis with current clients and to provide a perspective on their firm to prospects. Andy Paladino of Paladino Financial Group (PFG) uses a third-party provider of automated customer relationship management (CRM) solutions as well as the robust marketing resources of his broker-dealer, USA Financial Securities Corp. This entails several specific steps:

  • Creation of a database from current clients, email or phone inquiries from prospects, and visitors to his website or listeners of his radio program who request a consultation or financial education materials.
  • Bi-weekly automated communications to current clients in the form of educational newsletters on topics such as retirement insights and economic or market updates.
  • A three-month email campaign to new prospects that features a variety of educational materials and invitations to tap into PFG educational resources or to request a consultation.
  • Automated tracking of client communications/meetings with prompts for regular follow-up emails or phone calls and the scheduling of client review sessions.

Peer study groups pay large dividends

Arnie Pechler credits peer study groups with adding to his body of knowledge and providing a resource for best practices for his firm. Here is how his peer group works together:

  • A group of seven or eight advisors from different firms meets monthly over the phone.
  • There is a “supergroup” session of about 40 advisors once a year.
  • Sessions are moderated by a broker-dealer representative and can include outside speakers.
  • Goals, challenges, practice management concepts, new technology, and sales ideas are discussed.

4 core values inform comprehensive wealth management

Brad Creger, AAMS, AIFA, CFS, CLTC, CPFA, is the founder, chief economist, and lead wealth strategist of BFF Financial Inc., a full-service advisory firm based in Glendale, California. He says, “Our mission at BFF Financial is to educate, empower, and motivate our clients while helping guide them through their life’s financial journey.”

Each BFF Financial client relationship is built on the foundation of four core values, which are described on the firm’s website:

  1. Exclusivity: “BFF Financial does not claim to be all things to all people. … We exclusively work with those who both value and respect our time as well as their own and are truly seeking our financial guidance and assistance.”
  2. Comprehensive service: “BFF Financial is an organization of wealth strategists who specialize in identifying and resolving complex estate, business transfer, retirement, and investment problems. Specifically, we look at all areas of your financial life and pull them together in a cross-disciplinary manner. …”
  3. Education: “… Working with BFF Financial is a distinctive experience. We do not deliver a prepackaged set of ideas, solutions, or financial products. We are committed to providing you with the information and financial education you need to make timely, informed decisions. …”
  4. Long-term relationships: “Your relationship with BFF Financial doesn’t end once we complete our initial work. … Given today’s complex and ever-changing tax laws, and because your personal situation and objectives are not static, the plan you develop today will rarely meet all of your needs in the future.”

    The 3 C’s of client service

    Trevor Cochrane, CRPC, is the founder and principal financial advisor at Reverb Financial, located in Fort Worth, Texas. Reverb Financial offers a comprehensive suite of services, including integrated financial planning, wealth and investment management, retirement-income planning, insurance strategies, and estate and college-funding planning.

    Mr. Cochrane says, “We pride ourselves in making our financial-planning services transparent and easy to understand. We would like to help clients manage their finances in a way that changes the trajectory of their lives and impacts the next generation.”

    His firm’s core client-service principles focus on the three C’s: connection, coaching, and consistency. Here is how he articulates these principles to clients:

    1. Connection: “Our first meeting is all about you. What are your goals and concerns? What are you hoping to accomplish by connecting with a financial planner? You talk. We listen. In order to create a financial legacy, we need to know your goals. If you’re unsure what those are, we can help you identify them.”
    2. Coaching: “Financial education and literacy are at the heart of what we do. We dedicate a lot of time and energy to helping you understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of your financial options—which is the key to empowerment. This is the nuts-and-bolts stage of financial planning. We map out the real-life steps to reach your destination. When we’re done, we have enough information to develop a personalized financial plan that is uniquely you.”
    3. Consistency: “We believe our conversation should be ongoing—not just a one-time occurrence. That’s why we offer you different check-in options: quarterly, bi-annually, or yearly. Outside of formal meetings, you can contact us any time with questions or to discuss changes in your life that might affect your financial goals.”

    Delivering a fiduciary ‘pledge’ to clients

    Ryan Gorman, CFA, CMT, BFA, is a wealth advisor, partner, and chief investment officer at Callesen Wealth Management, where he is also the behavioral investment counselor. He says they are a fiduciary financial-planning firm offering comprehensive wealth and investment planning. 

    Callesen Wealth Management notes, “As fiduciaries, we’ve made a promise to always act in our clients’ best interest above our own. In doing so, we’re dedicated to being transparent with our offerings and honest about any conflicts of interest.”

    The firm’s fiduciary pledge to clients consists of the following principles:

    • Understand that a fiduciary holds an ethical relationship of trust and must prudently care for all client assets. 
    • Plainly state all fees and compensation received due to client engagement. 
    • Be cognizant of all conflicts of interest and take measures to declare and resolve them while avoiding revenue-sharing agreements whenever possible. 
    • Decline perks paid for by mutual funds and insurance companies using shareholder money.
    • Manage investments in a disciplined and defensible manner and educate clients on what they own and why they own it. 
    • Never bow to a corporate culture that dictates sales goals, commissions, or obligations to a parent company.

    Explaining the seven challenges for retirement planning

    Shannon LaRosse is an investment advisor representative and financial advisor at Strategic Wealth Advisory, which has offices in Birdsboro and Allentown, Pennsylvania. She says, “We consider ourselves distribution-phase advisors. Our target audience is basically individuals or couples around age 55 and up—those who are considering transitioning into retirement in the next several years.”

    As part of her firm’s educational discussions with new clients, Ms. LaRosse reviews seven unique challenges of retirement planning:

    1. Determining a suitable Social Security strategy—how and when benefits should be claimed.
    2. How to efficiently create a reliable retirement “paycheck.”
    3. The potential impact of sequence-of-returns risk in retirement.
    4. Building a retirement plan that can adapt to periods of rising inflation. 
    5. The need for investment-risk management during the retirement distribution phase. 
    6. Creating tax efficiency in deploying assets for retirement income.
    7. Preparation for life’s “What Ifs?”—events that can damage a well-funded but underplanned retirement.

    Prioritizing clients’ financial-planning needs

    Daniel Weiss, CRPC, is the co-founder of W Financial Advisors, a full-service financial advisory firm located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a second office in Florida. Mr. Weiss has more than a decade of experience in the financial-services industry and says his firm emphasizes “highly customized and integrated financial guidance.”

    He says his firm’s planning process is “not set in stone”; rather, it is “dictated by a client’s financial situation and what best fits their specific needs and comfort level.” Mr. Weiss says an important early step is setting priorities for each client’s customized planning process. In general, client planning needs are addressed in three stages, as follows:

    “In general, stage one would involve ensuring their current accounts are in good order and recommending possible shifts in types of accounts or how they are funded. The client might be doing many things right already, but the one thing they are not doing efficiently or suitably could have a huge impact.

    “Stage two is the core accumulation and distribution planning. Our proprietary software lets us to build a retirement income timeline, identify future income gaps, and develop tax-efficient strategic recommendations to bridge those gaps. We emphasize risk-managed asset growth and preservation.

    “Stage three involves planning for areas such as college funding, long-term care, life insurance, charitable giving, and their estate or legacy goals. These can be complex and interrelated areas, and we take great care in educating clients on the pros and cons of different approaches.”

    Addressing key themes for retirement planning

    Robert Norton is an LPL Financial advisor and the founder and principal of Norton Wealth Management, located in Hammonton, New Jersey. He focuses on providing investment-management and retirement-planning services for retirees and pre-retirees as they pursue their financial goals.

    Mr. Norton has conducted a number of informational retirement-planning seminars and webinars over the years, often partnering with third-party subject matter experts. His presentations have included the following broad topic areas:

    • The value of retirement planning: Studies find that individuals or families with a retirement plan are significantly more confident in their financial future and those with a written plan have three times as much saved as those who do not.
    • Longevity risk: We are living longer, complicating the challenge of providing for a secure retirement. An income stream may have to last 20 to 30 years or longer. Inflation will continue to drive the cost of living increasingly higher.
    • Social Security claiming strategies: The wrong choice can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more over the course of a retirement. When a Social Security analysis is conducted for clients, they are often amazed at how large a difference different claiming strategies can make in their long-term income.
    • Multiple options for retirement income: These could include a bucket strategy or a 4% withdrawal strategy. Many people will dedicate a portion of their assets to create a personal pension to cover the essentials of living expenses and direct another portion to growth assets.
    • Making sure a family’s affairs are in order: Death or illness is always a sad and difficult time for a family. A will, financial and medical powers of attorney, and a living will should all be part of anyone’s planning.

    Educating clients on the benefits of risk management

    Chad and Parker Molitor are a father-son team specializing in wealth management and retirement planning at RAI Advisors in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They place an emphasis on risk-managed investment strategies as part of a well-diversified investment plan. Parker Molitor says, “We tell clients that risk will never go away. It is not a question of if the next storm will come, but when. Where will it come from, and how severe will it be?”

    They educate clients on the following important concepts related to risk management:

    • Inflation risk: “Clients need to protect their purchasing power in retirement against the impact of inflation. Growth-oriented investments, which are suitably risk managed, are important in any investment plan.”
    • Interest-rate risk: “We have had a decade and a half of abnormally low interest rates. This has affected all asset classes. Clients need to have a financial plan that can mitigate the potentially negative impact of normalized interest rates—and take advantage of opportunities they may present.”
    • Industry-specific risk: “The pandemic period highlighted the great discrepancy between industries that thrived and those that did not. We have access to actively managed strategies for clients that can rotate among sectors, finding favorably trending sectors and minimizing exposure to those that are not.”
    • Market risk: “We educate clients on market cycles and how different asset allocations, asset classes, and types of strategies may perform in different environments. Active, risk-managed investment strategies can provide the flexibility to handle market dislocations—and then readjust exposure levels when market conditions improve.”
    • Sequence-of-returns risk: “Most clients are unaware of how large an impact the sequence of investment returns can have on their retirement assets. This is an important reason why we seek diversification among noncorrelated asset classes and strategies, along with using rules-based investment strategies with inherent risk-mitigating properties.”

    Implementing a culture of teamwork

    Jim Herzog, Clint Braswell, and Bill Drexler are financial advisors with Financial Cornerstone Group (FCG), located in Rockledge, Florida.

    Mr. Herzog joined the firm in 2018, merging his prior firm with FCG, which had been cofounded by Mr. Braswell and senior partner/owner Beth Courtney.

    Mr. Herzog says, “Merging our two offices was a blessing. By combining resources, talents, visions, and abilities, we have been able to better serve our clients. I love the team atmosphere and believe our clients benefit from this team’s combined years of experience, knowledge, values, faith, and diverse strengths.”

    Financial Cornerstone Group implements a team-building approach in several different ways:

    • Weekly firm meetings to discuss operational and client-focused activities.
    • Mentoring and career development of new team members.
    • Informal discussions in smaller groups to share knowledge, review specific client situations, and tap into the expertise of team members.
    • Supporting the local community through firm-sponsored efforts and volunteering.
    • Team-building events outside of the office.
    • Holding educational and client-appreciation events that involve multiple team members.

    A financial-planning process grounded in ‘vision, values, and goals’

    Eric McGough, CLU, ChFC, RICP, is a wealth management advisor and co-founder of Resolute Wealth Partners, located in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Mr. McGough has three decades of experience in the financial-services industry. He dedicates his efforts to “providing fee-based planning and advisory services to executives, retirees, and high-net-worth individuals.”

    His firm follows a disciplined and holistic financial-planning process that is grounded in a client’s “vision, values, and goals.” This process, which consists of several broad steps, is communicated in the following fashion to clients:

    1. Identify your vision and goals. First, we will make sure we understand what’s important to you and your loved ones, where you are today and where you want to be in the future.
    2. Think about a solution. Our team will analyze your financial situation and develop recommendations that can help you and your family achieve financial security. Together you and our team will decide which recommendations will work best for your lifestyle.
    3. Implement your strategies. Together, we’ll bring your financial plan to life with comprehensive financial products and quality solutions.
    4. Review your plan to sustain results. Even small changes in your life can impact your financial plan. We’ll meet with you regularly to help you adjust your plan as needed to stay on track. And although your financial strategy will be unique to you, we’ll ensure that it’s built on a solid foundation to help you protect against the unexpected, accumulate wealth, and preserve what you’re working so hard to achieve.

    Being well-prepared for client service during the pandemic

    Richard F. Grant Jr. is the founder and managing principal of RFG Capital Management LLC (RFG), a registered investment advisory firm located in Arizona. Mr. Grant has more than three decades of experience in financial services and has lived and worked in the U.S., Japan, and Germany. Mr. Grant’s experience working around the globe with a variety of clients has helped his firm deal efficiently with the unprecedented environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He says, “I feel very fortunate in this situation in terms of our firm’s ability to provide high-quality service to clients. A good percentage of our clients are from other states and countries, so remotely working with clients has been part of the fabric of our operation for years. We are very comfortable with technology and have been using live-conferencing tools, email, and the phone to conduct business without meeting in person for quite some time. While many people may have had to quickly train themselves on something like Zoom, we have been using that for about two years. We also use GoToMeeting and Jive software, which provides various collaboration solutions.”

    Setting client expectations early

    David Turner is the founder and principal financial advisor at My Planning Pro, an advisory firm located in the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina. Mr. Turner says, “Through our experience, we have learned it is important that both the advisor and the client are clear on what to expect if we are to develop and maintain a successful working relationship—one where we can work to help a client or client couple strive to achieve their financial and lifestyle goals.”

    As part of this process, Mr. Turner’s firm sets out the following specific principles—referred to as the “Keys to a successful relationship”—that outline what clients can expect from his firm.

    “Our firm will always:

    • Strive to acquire and maintain a thorough understanding of your financial goals.
    • Update your current financial information on a regular basis.
    • Carefully assess and monitor your investment risk and time frame.
    • Explain the implications of all recommended financial planning strategies and gladly answer any questions you may have.
    • Update you as and when appropriate by email, mail, and phone.
    • Meet with you regularly to review your financial plan.
    • Act as your primary financial advisor, coordinating the efforts of other related professionals as and when required.
    • Treat you with the utmost respect and professionalism.”

    Keeping advisors and clients on the same page

    Managing client expectations, especially regarding how services are delivered, is critically important for a wealth advisory firm. This is a two-way street, says Judson Gee, and he asks that clients review and sign a “Client-Advisor Expectations” agreement that specifically addresses the following:

    • How promptly each party agrees to respond to inquiries from the other.
    • Preferred methods of communication (e.g., in person, via phone, text, or email).
    • Frequency of client review sessions and how they should best be scheduled.
    • A summary of broad investment objectives and a commitment by both parties to “stay the course” in working toward long-term financial goals.

    Helping businesses with employee retirement plans

    Determining and implementing best practices for an employee retirement plan can be daunting for owners of small and mid-sized businesses. Arnie Beck’s firm, Financial Management Associates helps businesses tackle these tasks using a process called “The Ultimate Retirement Plan Solution,” which includes the following steps:

    • Evaluating a company’s current retirement plan, including fee analysis.
    • Developing a request for proposal (RFP) and analysis of proposals—identifying the most effective solution.
    • Maximizing tax benefits and facilitating employee education and participation.
    • Protecting a company’s fiduciaries from unnecessary litigation.
    • Ongoing monitoring of plan investments.

    Communicating the benefits of a comprehensive financial plan

    Bill Romeo is the founder and principal advisor at FinestPlan LLC, located in Coconut Creek, Florida. Mr. Romeo developed extensive marketing communications materials when the firm was founded in 2002. These focused on his mission, services offered, and the benefits of engaging his firm. The marketing program includes a section called “What are the benefits of a comprehensive financial plan for retirees?” The answers included the following:

    • Assessment of current financial inventory and tax exposure analysis.
    • Planning for education needs.
    • Mapping out a retirement-income plan.
    • Efficient estate planning.
    • Survivor income and lifestyle protection.
    • Disability and long-term care coverage.
    • Navigating Social Security and Medicare.
    • Goals-based investment planning.
    • Coordination with other trusted advisors.

    Personalized contact with clients strengthens relationships

    Mira Mizrahi, CFP, is a financial planner and advisor with Diversified Financial Consultants LLC, located in Whippany, New Jersey. She specializes in personal financial planning for a wide range of clients of all ages, including individuals, single-parent and two-income families, professionals, and retirees.

    Ms. Mizrahi says her mission includes “a total commitment to each client’s personal success.” She says, “There is an expression in Hebrew that basically translates to ‘you will love your friend as yourself.’ That is what I try to follow with every client.” In this effort, she takes a highly personalized approach with clients and prospects, which include the following actions:

    • Posting a “welcome” message on her website and videos that outline her personal history, beliefs, and commitment to serving clients’ needs.
    • Reaching out to clients in a direct, personal fashion at times of major milestones and life events. She says, “For example, this includes the arrival of new members of the family; graduations; the purchase of a new home; birthdays; when someone is sick; and, sadly, funerals.”
    • Holding learning events where clients can feel free to invite family members, friends, or co-workers.
    • Hosting customized events for clients, including lunches or dinners at her home.
    • Maintaining a flow of communications via email and the phone on a regular basis, supplemented with personal notes for birthdays, holidays, and anniversary dates of becoming a client.
    • Conducting formal reviews at least once a year with clients, and more often as needed.

    Principles that inform daily interactions with clients

    Paul Walker is a partner, chief financial officer, and financial advisor at Parable Financial Network (PFN), which has offices in Brunswick and Waycross, Georgia. After running a small business with his wife for close to 40 years, Mr. Walker began his second career as a financial advisor. He says he was well-prepared for the new challenge, calling upon his background in finance and accounting, business experience, people skills, and love of the financial markets.

    He says, “My desire is to help clients change their life for the better—that is part of my personal outreach and my mission in life.” He incorporates several principles into his daily interactions with clients:

     

    • Earn the client’s respect as an advisor who is trustworthy, honest, and acts with integrity in their best interests.
    • Listen closely to—and act upon—the client’s most heartfelt goals and major concerns.
    • Empower clients to become thoroughly educated about their finances.
    • Encourage clients to view financial planning as flexible and open to adjustment as circumstances change.
    • Help clients understand that it is OK to be emotional about their life journey and relationships, but not their investments.
    • Discourage a “herd mentality.” Clients need to remain disciplined in their long-term investment approach.
    • Always act in a manner consistent with the principles of Christian fellowship and values.

    Due diligence in the selection of investment managers

    Ernesto Ramirez is a financial advisor with OneMiami Financial Group, located in Coral Gables, Florida. He provides comprehensive financial guidance in helping clients build “a personalized road map for their financial future.” Mr. Ramirez says that he works closely with select third-party investment managers and that their performance directly reflects the services he provides to clients. His due-diligence process in selecting managers is a top priority and addresses these key criteria:

    • Their specific investment philosophy and how that aligns with clients’ objectives.
    • Investment performance over a significant period of time.
    • Their research and strategic development capabilities.
    • How they incorporate risk management within their investment process.
    • Their approach to active management and making changes to strategic allocations based on market conditions.
    • The strength of their management and support teams.
    • Their capabilities and commitment to quality service, communication, and reporting.

    Financial planning that adapts to changes in clients' lives

    Sean Reading, CFP, is a founding partner at The North Star Financial Group, located in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. An important part of his process is making sure financial plans adapt to important changes in clients’ lives in a proactive manner. Before scheduled review sessions, the firm sends clients a brief questionnaire that asks clients to indicate if there have been changes in any key areas of their lives, including the following:

    • Employment status or benefits plans.
    • Marital status.
    • Additions or losses to the family.
    • Health status.
    • Unplanned financial gains or losses (including inheritance).
    • Property bought or sold, other major purchases, or the start of a new venture.
    • Consideration of changes to financial goals.
    • Insurance coverages.
    • Key personal data, including beneficiaries.

    Client relationships built on a ‘Bill of Rights’

    Bill Curry is the founder of Wealth Wisdom Group LLC, located in Wilmington, Delaware. He says, “We understand a great relationship is based upon a solid foundation. To ensure that every client is treated in a fair and ethical manner, we have created a ‘Client Bill of Rights.’ Every client has important rights and responsibilities to help ensure a successful relationship.”

    These are a few of the many “rights” Mr. Curry says that clients should always receive:

    • A high level of professional and courteous service.
    • A qualified, trustworthy, advisor who understands each client’s unique situation.
    • Ongoing monitoring and regular reviews to help financial plans stay on track.
    • Complicated financial concepts explained in easy-to-understand terms.
    • A working relationship defined by the utmost respect and integrity at all times.
    • A genuine personal relationship that takes clients’ circumstances, risk tolerance, values, goals, and objectives into consideration at all times.
    • Careful guarding of privacy and confidential information.

    Equally important, says Mr. Curry, are clients’ responsibilities to the relationship. These include areas such as full disclosure of financial information, keeping the firm up to date on changes in life circumstances, fully understanding recommendations and strategies employed on their behalf, and providing honest feedback on services provided, question areas, and how expectations are being met.

    “Guiding Principles” lead financial planning

    Jim Metzbower is a financial advisor and a registered representative at Lincoln Financial Advisors. Mr. Metzbower says he emphasizes an educational and collaborative approach in working with clients to further their financial well-being. His financial-planning process begins with an extensive conversation around what he terms “Guiding Principles” and discovery of important financial data. These principles, listed below, cover several important areas and provide the foundation for developing a goals-based financial plan:

    • Big-picture questions around a client’s financial, retirement, and life goals.
    • Cash management, including cash flow and debt management.
    • Risk management, in terms of life, health, and property and casualty coverages, as well as contingency planning.
    • Wealth management, covering potential income streams, desired retirement lifestyle and the funding to support that, and financial planning and investment goals for the future.
    • Wealth transfer and legacy-planning objectives.

    Comprehensive resources to meet clients’ financial needs

    David Chalmers and Keith Herman are managing partners of Haddon Financial Solutions, located in Haddon Township, New Jersey. They say their firm is “committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in relationships with clients.” Their business model delivers comprehensive financial-planning services to individuals, couples, and businesses. They provide “access to a broad range of financial products and services,” either directly through their firm or other trusted professionals they work with, which include the following:

    • Investment strategies and management.
    • Retirement-planning strategies.
    • Estate-conservation strategies.
    • Tax-preparation and bookkeeping services.
    • Strategies for life, health, and long-term-care insurance.
    • Property and casualty insurance services.
    • Wealth management.
    • Planning for college savings.
    • Tax-aware strategies for retirement and investment planning.

    8 steps to a client-first financial-planning process

    Michael Dehnisch is a financial professional with Personal Economics Group (PEG), located in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Dehnisch says, “Everyone has goals and dreams for their lives. How do they accomplish that with the finite amount of resources they have and become good stewards of their money?” He has several core principles that inform his relationships with clients and his financial-planning process:

    1. Focus on client education first.
    2. Employ an economics-based approach to financial planning.
    3. Help clients understand how assets are tools, not goals.
    4. Explain the differences between accumulation and distribution strategies.
    5. Work to reduce the unpredictability of retirement income streams.
    6. Strive to manage risk and volatility in clients’ investment portfolios.
    7. Help clients develop financial strategies that align with their life objectives.
    8. Serve clients diligently, with compassion and respect.

    A road map for clients' financial planning

    Larry Welder, founder of Granite Financial Solutions LLC, says he is committed to applying his analytical, planning, and management skills to “helping people develop integrated financial strategies.” Mr. Welder follows a disciplined process that encompasses four key phases. He describes them to clients in the following manner:

    1. Mutual discovery: Our first meeting—via a phone call or video conference, or in person—allows us the opportunity to get to know each other. At the same time, I will share my philosophy and passion for helping work toward achieving your financial goals, all while providing you financial education.
    2. Information gathering and analysis: We take a snapshot of your current information and begin to refine your financial goals and objectives. We perform a detailed analysis to help formulate your individualized financial strategies.
    3. Action plan: At this meeting, we will provide you with a report of your current financial position, highlighting your net worth, projected cash flow, and details about protecting current and future assets. We will identify strategies and work with you to establish a timeline for implementing them.
    4. Mentoring: We are available to you for periodic reviews—to re-evaluate your plan and make adjustments, if necessary, to your financial strategies as your needs change.

    5 essential financial-planning steps for wealth-management clients

    John Kuhn is a vice president and wealth advisor with Bell Investments, located at Bell Bank in Fargo, North Dakota. He says he works with a wide range of clients and “quarterbacks the wealth-management team.” His team can deliver basic financial-planning services for no fee or comprehensive fee-based planning for the majority of his clients, including clients who have highly complex needs. He says the financial-planning “playbook” usually includes the following steps:

    1. A comprehensive review of the client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance.
    2. Learning about their overall financial situation and assets.
    3. Sound recommendations based on their financial profile.
    4. Finalizing a plan that works toward meeting a client’s financial goals.
    5. Ongoing partnership and regular communication with a client and their attorney, accountant, and other advisors.

    Mr. Kuhn says, “I feel very fortunate, and I think our clients are also, to have many professional resources located literally within our building. These include the financial-planning group, attorneys, trust officers, a 401(k) group, and an asset-management group in the bank’s trust department.”

    4 important goals for financial-planning clients

    Andy Zorovich is the owner and senior financial professional of Infinity Tax and Financial Planning, located in Huntsville, Alabama, and Largo, Florida. He says his firm is “different from many advisory practices,” as it offers access to several different financial, tax, and estate-planning professionals to clients. Mr. Zorovich says four broad financial-planning goals—helping clients protect, grow, use, and bestow their assets—can be addressed efficiently via his firm’s business model and planning process:

    1. Protection of assets via tax mitigation, investment risk management, and an insurance plan that guards against the impact of catastrophic loss, loss of income, or other significant risk exposure.
    2. Growth of assets through tax strategies that can increase net income; budgeting techniques to improve cash flow; and sophisticated, risk-managed investment strategies.
    3. Using assets wisely by following the principles of a goals-based financial plan. Striving to make economical, efficient, and tax-advantaged decisions on how to take income and how to spend it.
    4. Bestowing assets to the next generation, charity, church, or other recipient in the most tax-efficient manner; using financial and investment-planning strategies to maximize potential estate assets.

    Diversified investment strategies help manage risk

    Philip Saponaro is the founder of Lighthouse Financial Consultants and has more than 30 years of experience working with a wide variety of investment vehicles. He says he seeks to provide highly customized and diversified investment recommendations for clients that seek to help them reach their overall financial goals. Important principles of his investment planning approach include the following:

    • Developing a goals-based investment plan.
    • Using alternative investments to complement equity, fixed-income, and guaranteed-income strategies.
    • Placing a strong emphasis on risk management and a focus on risk-adjusted returns.
    • Employing supplemental strategies that have relatively lower correlation with major equity and bond indexes.
    • Working with third-party investment managers who can provide risk-managed, tactical strategies.
    • Analyzing clients’ risk exposure and investment performance compared to predetermined benchmarks.

    Evaluating third-party investment managers

    William Donner is the founder of Donner’s Financial Services Inc., located in Livonia, Michigan. He says that third-party money managers play an integral role in his firm’s investment planning and implementation for clients. He evaluates several factors in deciding whether a specific manager’s portfolio models and strategies should be used for any given client, including the following:

    • Do the manager’s portfolio strategies align well with the client’s goals and objectives?
    • How is the fit with the client’s risk profile, time horizon, and retirement-planning needs?
    • What is the manager’s long-term track record?
    • What is the manager’s methodology for analysis and strategy development?
    • Do they offer a fee structure that works within the context of the client’s overall plan?
    • Does the manager offer strategies that have a strong risk-management component?
    • Do the manager’s portfolio strategies have the capability of adapting to changes in market conditions?

    Building the “RIGHT” financial plan for clients

    Jay Hardesty is president of Ashton Wealth Management, located in Golden, Colorado. Mr. Hardesty’s firm provides comprehensive wealth-management services that help clients develop a personalized road map for achieving their financial goals. He employs a disciplined financial-planning process for clients that embraces five core factors he says can lead to the “RIGHT” financial plan:

    • R: Building a strong relationship that involves active listening and an interactive, consultative process.
    • I: Understanding the intergenerational nature of the planning process, probing the needs and potential financial impacts involving a client’s children and parents.
    • G: Setting both hard and soft goals—including quantifiable financial objectives and more aspirational lifestyle goals.
    • H: Using a holistic planning approach that recognizes that each element of a financial plan must be coordinated with the others.
    • T: Emphasizing truthfulness and transparency in the client-advisor relationship, which is incumbent upon both parties. This leads to developing a relationship built on mutual respect and trust.

    Create an efficient interface for clients

    Kevin Brennan, founder of Brennan Investment Services in Hartland, Michigan, says that his firm works with many affluent, younger working couples with children. These clients have busy lives, and one of his firm’s important objectives is to create an efficient and effective way of handling their financial planning and strategy implementation. His tips for doing so include the following:

    • Employ a systematic and repeatable process for client onboarding that minimizes client time.
    • Use paperless technology throughout the financial-planning process, allowing clients real-time access to their aggregated financial accounts and financial plan.
    • Provide clients with an interactive calendar tool for booking client appointments and review sessions.
    • Conduct client meetings via phone or online if that is the client’s preference.
    • Empower team members to handle client requests/questions in a timely fashion and provide the tools/technology to facilitate ready availability of information.
    • Use a robust relationship-management tool to continually update clients’ data and profiles.

    Developing clear goals for client relationships

    Brent Mowinski, founder of Mowinski Financial LLC in Michigan, works with a number of distinct client segments with a goal of helping them all with their distinct financial-planning needs. The key driver of his firm’s business growth has been referrals from current clients, which he believes stem directly from excellent client service. He has five broad goals in developing successful relationships with clients:

    1. Help clients protect and grow their investments.
    2. Help clients establish a long-term financial plan.
    3. Regularly monitor progress and performance.
    4. Provide competitive management fees.
    5. Help clients simplify their financial lives.

    Holistic financial-planning process promotes firm’s growth

    Steve Rosauer of Rosauer Financial says that his firm’s emphasis on holistic financial planning has enabled his firm to continue to grow through organic referrals. He says he subscribes to the planning methodology he learned in the process of becoming a Certified Financial Planner. This encompasses several steps:

    1. Learning about the client, sharing the firm’s perspective, and defining the working relationship.
    2. Data-gathering and discovery.
    3. Analysis of a client’s current financial situation, assets and liabilities, investments, and future income streams.
    4. Seeking agreement on goals and objectives and building a financial plan.
    5. Presenting specific recommendations and examining alternative scenarios.
    6. Implementing the plan and investment strategy.
    7. Monitoring progress toward objectives and having regularly scheduled review sessions.

    Tips for staying focused through a demanding schedule

    Peter Roe, a partner at Masters Private Client Group, specializes in clients in professional sports and the entertainment and technology fields. These are “top-performing, high-energy clients” who are located throughout the United States. His work involves extensive travel, coordination with outside advisors, and attendance at many industry events. Here are his tips for maintaining a high level of focus and energy to interact effectively with his clients when times are hectic:

    • Staying fit through a program of exercise and weight training.
    • Spending as much quality time with family as possible, making that a priority.
    • Indulging in your passions—for example, reading or music.
    • Practicing relaxation exercises, such as yoga or meditation.
    • Using technology for productivity while “avoiding its pitfalls.”
    • Planning travel carefully to maximize interaction with clients.

    Boost your firm’s efficiency with 5 time-management tips

    As a financial advisor, Grace Himmelright of Transamerica Financial Advisors finds effective time management is critical to running her practice. She says she “is a student of time-management theory” and tries to stay up to date on the literature in the field. She feels it is important to

    • always have a plan for annual business development and growth;
    • make sure shorter-term activities are aligned with long-term goals;
    • identify deliverables in the context of achieving business development objectives;
    • make progress toward annual goals consistently throughout the year; and
    • emphasize the activities that matter most, minimizing time and effort on low-value work.

    Reinforcing client relationships with multi-channel communication

    Tyler Holden, of Holden Financial Group, places great importance on employing cutting-edge financial-planning practices and coaching his clients toward achieving their financial goals. This can only be possible, he says, through building strong client relationships using multiple points of contact, such as the following:

    • Scheduling regular client review sessions and setting new appointments at the close of each review meeting.
    • Providing monthly market commentary to clients and personalized messaging for milestone events.
    • Using compliance-approved educational communications through social media channels.
    • Hosting client-appreciation events and targeted educational seminars.
    • ‘Quarterbacking’ the coordination with clients’ other trusted advisors on a regular basis.

    How technology helps manage advisor-client relationships

    Linda Persechino, founder of Persechino Financial in New Hartford, Connecticut, places a premium on developing personalized relationships with her clients. While she focuses on building a personal connection in face-to-face meetings, the technology platform of her broker-dealer, Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., is a valuable resource for furthering relationships. This platform provides the following:

    • Customized wealth-management solutions and reporting.
    • Tools to seamlessly run a practice from the office or on the road.
    • Compliant and customizable newsletters, financial commentary, and marketing materials.
    • Tools for managing ongoing client communications and tracking client key dates.
    • Website, seminar, social media, and public relations support.

    The importance of holistic financial planning for retirees

    Retirement can be an intimidating prospect for many people, and the closer they get to their target date, the more concerned they are about the complexities of retirement planning. Tim Wells’ firm aims to address the many financial issues these clients face by employing a process called “True Wealth: Holistic Planning System 360.” The advisor starts this process by developing a consultative relationship that explores a client’s values, beliefs, and life goals and addresses the following categories:

    • Foundation and estate planning.
    • Income and investment planning.
    • Insurance and legacy planning.

    Communicating your firm’s philosophy across multiple channels

    Tara Nolan, MBA, is the founder of Nolan Financial Partners, a full-service financial-planning and advisory firm located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is an entrepreneur, financial advisor and coach, professional speaker, and Air Force pilot.

    Nolan Financial Partners focuses on addressing clients’ financial-planning needs “from a holistic, 360-degree perspective.” Ms. Nolan says that providing financial education and communicating her firm’s overall planning philosophy, as well as their culture of “transparency and authenticity,” has been an essential driver of the firm’s growth. The firm employs the following communications and financial-education strategies in this effort:

    • Hosting a local radio program, “Nolan Financial Radio,” which airs on a local FM station in the Colorado Springs area and is also a podcast.
    • Presenting the livestreaming broadcast “Wealth is a Team Sport,” which is also a podcast.
    • Creating videos and articles for frequent blog posts on the Nolan Financial Partners website. These are also shared via social media.
    • Speaking at events on topics such as team-building and leadership, personal “reinvention,” and financial growth and education.
    • Authoring the recent best-selling book “Money Moves: Change Where Your Money Lives, Change How Your Financial World Grows”

    A mission statement that outlines commitment to clients

    David Stellpflug, RICP, is the president and founder of Family Financial Associates Inc., based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. His firm focuses on comprehensive financial planning, with an emphasis on retirement-income planning.

    Mr. Stellpflug has articulated a comprehensive mission statement for his firm, stated in part below, which he shares with prospects and clients on his website:

    “Our mission is to help our clients make smart investment and financial decisions through professional relationships based on uncompromising integrity, trust, and personalized service. We accomplish this mission by offering holistic, comprehensive advisory services to help clients prioritize and attain their life goals.

    “Our sole purpose is to help our clients arrange their financial affairs in an efficient and effective way; to preserve their capital and obtain risk-adjusted returns consistent with their financial objectives; and, most importantly, provide them with financial freedom. …

    “We are committed to providing our clients with a superior level of service as well as ongoing education designed to further their understanding of our financial and investment strategies. Family Financial Associates Inc. will work alongside our clients in articulating, establishing, and achieving their financial life goals.

    “We believe in taking a holistic approach to financial planning for our clients. We apply the ‘whole person’ concept in evaluating and presenting the financial options available to the individual client. … We believe with responsible decisions; reasonable expectations; and vigilant, attentive counsel each client can achieve their financial life goals. It is to this end and purpose, on behalf of our clients, that Family Financial Associates Inc. exists.”

    Delivering on the objectives of online marketing

    Dean R. Crouthamel is the founder and principal financial advisor of DRC Financial Services, located in Skippack, Pennsylvania. The firm provides a range of services, including integrated financial planning, wealth and investment management, retirement-income planning, insurance strategies, and estate and college-funding planning.

    He is an avid proponent of online marketing and uses social media sites and third-party content providers to communicate regularly with both clients and prospects. He says his integrated program delivers on three major objectives:

    1. “Building name recognition for my firm and myself. I believe that targeted messaging over time will lead prospects to consider our firm as a financial-planning need arises in the future.
    2. “Providing valuable financial information and education. The recipients of these communications will find in-depth discussions of a variety of timely topics related to a full range of financial-planning issues. Whether they ultimately contact our firm or not, I think it helps to position our firm as a thought leader in the industry.
    3. “Directly providing a means to prospects to seek out further information from our firm or to set up a meeting. While the ‘call to action’ in these communications is nonintrusive, the communications provide a means for prospects to follow up if they would like more information on a specific topic or to book a complimentary consultation.”

    Key criteria for evaluating third-party investment managers

    David L. Rhodes, CFP, MBA, is the founder and principal financial advisor at The Rhodes Financial Group, located in Bryan, Texas. Mr. Rhodes says he is “a believer in active investment management” and educates clients on the potential benefits of professional money management.

    He considers the following several important criteria when evaluating third-party managers:

    • Their longevity and professional credentials in the industry.
    • Whether they have a unique value proposition versus other investment management firms.
    • Track record of performance in different types of market environments and versus key benchmarks.
    • The quality of their support staff, customer service, and proprietary tools.
    • The experience and strength of their management and research teams.
    • The quality of their investment/trading execution and documentation.

    Six ways exceptional advisors achieve uncommon success

    Frank A. Leyes, ChFC, is the founder, president, and principal financial advisor at Frank A. Leyes & Associates, which has offices in Roanoke, Virginia, and Indianapolis, Indiana.

    Mr. Leyes says, “One important aspect of my professional life—in addition to serving the needs of our firm’s clients—is the great satisfaction and personal growth I have been able to find in being an educator, author, keynote speaker, and developer of a mastermind program for other advisors.”

    Mr. Leyes invested a year interviewing successful advisors for his second book: “Shaping the Future: 6 Ways Exceptional Advisors Transform Financial Futures.”

    These six principles each form the basis for a chapter of the book:

    1. Lead with convictions: “Convictions are beliefs that have withstood adversity and the test of time.”
    2. Communicate with elegant simplicity: “Einstein said, ‘The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.’”
    3. Engage personally through the power of story: “Story is a lever that moves in ways mere words, statistics, or other industry jargon can never touch.”
    4. Systematize and streamline every area of business: “Ultimately, none of us can control or manage time. We can only manage our focus and energy.”
    5. Commit to lifelong learning: “There is something in the DNA of leaders that makes them open to new ways of improving their businesses, themselves, and the quality of their lives.”
    6. Leverage the power of unique teamwork: “The path to growth is not always in our learning something new but in surrounding ourselves with someone who has strengths that complement ours.”

    Cornerstones of a sound financial plan

    David J. Wood is a senior vice president and financial advisor at St. Pedro & Associates, located in Royersford, Pennsylvania. Mr. Wood has been in the financial industry since 1991 and says he focuses on “providing sound, unbiased advice in the areas of wealth management, retirement plans, financial and estate planning, and personal and business insurance.”

    Mr. Wood says, “St. Pedro has a specific planning methodology that we share with prospective and current clients. It’s called the ‘Four Cornerstone Approach.’”

    This approach includes, among many other steps, conducting a thorough review and analysis of these four areas:

    1. Cash management and reserves: “We take an in-depth look at your current financial picture, identify and help maximize your financial strengths, [and] highlight and help minimize your financial weaknesses.”
    2. Fixed-income investments: “We determine your fixed-income needs, implement an appropriate strategy to help maximize your fixed-income needs, [and] monitor your fixed-income investments and adjust accordingly.”
    3. Protection and risk management: “We review your current protection strategy, conduct a need-based analysis, [and] recommend appropriate protections suited to your individual needs.”
    4. Equity investments: “We analyze your risk tolerance, address market fluctuations, [and] ensure appropriate portfolio asset allocation and diversification.”

    A firm culture that focuses on client commitment

    Robert G. Ziegler is a financial planner with Heritage Financial Consultants, based in the Wilmington, Delaware, office. In total, Mr. Ziegler has spent 10 years with the firm, where his father has worked for more than three decades. He says he has built his practice around a strong service model and client education, which “fits well with the culture” at Heritage Financial Consultants. The firm has several guiding principles surrounding client focus on its website, presented in abbreviated form here:

    “We approach the financial marketplace with a fresh perspective, identifying opportunities and solutions that are innovative and effective. You’ll see from the start that our priority is you, and that our approach reflects that. Here’s what sets us apart.

    “We get to know you. We start by getting to know you and what you want to accomplish. We meet throughout the year to ensure that your financial plan is aligned with your current lifestyle. …

    “We don’t follow a blueprint. We work closely with you to develop a customized plan designed to protect and grow your wealth in line with your personal values and goals.

    “We’re part of your team. Your finances affect every aspect of your life. We look beyond our relationship with you to consider a wider perspective, proactively engaging with your team of trusted advisors.

    “We care about your success. Our team is an integral part of your success. Our highly educated professionals possess key licenses that speak to their ability to provide guidance, and they are continually learning about new strategies and resources to share with you.”

    Benefits of being a financial advisor in the banking channel

    Bill Raney, MS, CFP, BFA, is a principal financial advisor for GNB Investments, a division of GNB Bank. GNB is a community-focused bank with multiple locations in Iowa. GNB Investments offers access to financial and retirement planning, professional asset management, life and long-term-care insurance, annuities, cash management, and other related services.

    Mr. Raney started his career in sales and distribution management at Investor’s Business Daily and first became a financial professional with Prudential Securities. He since has worked for several national and regional banks as a financial advisor and planner. He says the banking channel offers unique benefits for a financial advisor, including the following:

    • The ability to conduct an independent practice within the umbrella of a larger banking organization. He currently works with clients from eight different branches of GNB Bank, allowing him to access a broad network of potential clients from all walks of life.
    • A team-oriented approach that offers “a two-way street with other departments and individuals within the bank.” This, he says, “is not just a transactional relationship between departments as we are looking to help clients fulfill their needs in many different areas.”
    • Access to the larger resources of GNB Bank on a referral basis. He says, “A good portion of our local community is involved in agribusiness, as well as smaller, locally owned businesses. The bank has dedicated resources and a strong understanding of the needs of those segments. We also have a robust capability in the trust area and services such as lending, cash management, and employee retirement plans. I believe these types of resources further reinforce the aspect of working as a part of a greater team effort on behalf of clients.”

    Increasing your advisory practice’s visibility

    Earl Schultz’s growth plan for his firm, Strategic Wealth Advisory, LLC, includes public relations, advertising, and publishing educational content to heighten exposure to his target audience. Here are a few of his strategies:

    1. Co-authoring the book “You’re in Control: Planning the Most Important Retirement in the World—Yours.”
    2. Running TV ads in local media markets and developing direct-mail programs to drive attendance at financial education seminars.
    3. Giving interviews for local newspapers and prominent industry podcasts.
    4. Using a public relations specialist to obtain quotes and features in national media such as U.S. News & World Report, TheStreet.com, Financial Advisor, and an upcoming issue of The Wall Street Journal.

    Strategies to address needs of small-business owners

    Small-business owners represent a multi-dimensional target audience for an advisory practice. Their needs include essential financial services for their business, as well as individual financial planning for themselves and key employees. Matthew Rubis employs several strategies in approaching this segment:

    • Networking with property and casualty (P&C) insurance agents, attorneys, and accountants to identify mutually beneficial referrals.
    • Offering a range of business services, including insurance planning (including key man and buy/sell agreements), business continuity planning, and guidance on employee and executive benefits.
    • Providing services in several personal financial-planning areas, including retirement-income planning, legacy planning, risk management, and investment management.
    • Recommending that business-owner clients review their company financial plans on a consistent schedule.

    Using technology to add value for clients

    Using the latest technology helps financial advisors provide comprehensive financial-planning services to clients. Rhett Sinclair of Creative Financial Strategies gains efficiency in consultative decision-making with clients by using several tools:

    1. Financial-planning software that offers an integrated wealth-management platform, including a robust client portal and the capability to model a range of financial scenarios for clients.
    2. Software that helps provide a quantitative measure of client risk tolerance, enabling alignment of client portfolios with individual risk preferences.
    3. Advanced planning software to analyze a client’s or client couple’s potential Social Security claiming strategies.
    4. A CRM solution that offers detailed tracking of client data, facilitating communications and workflow. Using mobile dictation and transcription software to capture discussions with clients and identify next steps.

    Serving clients first with systematic process management

    Strategic Financial Advisors Corporation employs a “serve clients first” philosophy in offering comprehensive approaches to financial planning, wealth management, and business consulting to individuals and businesses. This requires a dedication to process management in several areas:

    • A six-month timetable of specific milestones to achieve a final, agreed-upon financial road map covering detailed analysis, goals, and action steps.
    • Regular progress reviews on a schedule that meets client needs, usually every four months.
    • Periodic meetings with clients’ trusted third-party advisors such as insurance specialists, attorneys, and accountants.
    • Weekly internal workflow meetings to prioritize client tasks and proactive communications.

    Focusing on the educational aspect of clients’ financial needs

    Michael (Mike) Zimmerman is the president and founder of Regal Wealth Advisors, located in Stevens, Pennsylvania. He says that his client base really started to grow when his firm “focused on the educational aspect of clients’ financial needs.” He also notes that financial education can start even before someone becomes a client. He enjoys giving seminars at local libraries and notes that it is an effective strategy for introducing his firm’s thinking and capabilities to prospective clients. These seminars are often presented in association with other local financial advisors.

    The topic of Social Security planning and claiming strategies draws strong interest among pre-retirees and those who are already retired. The seminars address questions that retirees typically have, which include the following:

    • Will Social Security be there for me? When should I apply for Social Security?
    • How much can I expect to receive? How can I maximize my benefits?
    • Will Social Security be enough to live on in retirement?
    • What are the trade-offs of claiming early, at full retirement age, or later?
    • How do spousal benefits work? What are survivor benefits?
    • How can I minimize taxes on Social Security benefits?
    • What role does Social Security play in an overall retirement-income plan?

    Tactics for putting the client at the center of your practice

    Steve Deppe, CMT, is a managing member and chief investment officer at Nerad + Deppe Wealth Management in San Diego, California. He employs what he calls a “high-touch, high-frequency” service philosophy to make sure clients know they are at the center of the practice. Mr. Deppe says, “We want clients to be assured we are thinking about their finances and investments at all times, even more than they do themselves.” The high-touch approach includes several elements:

    • Mr. Deppe and his partner share responsibility for each client and, whenever possible, attend client meetings together.
    • The firm provides weekly updates to all clients on economic and market developments.
    • They strive to meet in person with each client two to four times each year.
    • The firm’s partners encourage clients to bring any financial questions to their attention, no matter how small they may seem on the surface.
    • Client review sessions focus on reviewing the achievement of tangible, measureable results and soliciting feedback on the process and overall client satisfaction.
    • Client-friendly technology is employed in several areas, facilitating timely reporting and providing easy access to account information and aggregation.
    • The firm has a goal of performing “a random act of kindness” annually for each client.

    Identifying ‘success factors’ for my advisory practice

    Kent Zeigler is the founder and president of Zeigler Financial Services, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Zeigler works with clients in a financial advisory capacity and provides tax strategies for many clients. He has been an independent financial advisor for over 30 years and says his client base has grown steadily over the years, primarily through organic referrals from current clients. He attributes his firm’s success to several factors, including the following:

    • Placing client needs at the forefront and forging relationships based on mutual trust and collaboration.
    • Emphasizing risk management across financial, investment, and retirement-income planning.
    • Offering clients an “institutional-strength” investment approach that incorporates modern, sophisticated principles of strategic diversification and active management.
    • Spending a significant amount of time on client education about risk mitigation within retirement planning, including issues such as the sequence of returns.
    • Using his experience and capabilities to seek tax efficiency in clients’ financial planning.
    • Remaining “intellectually curious” and seeking state-of-the-art product and service solutions for clients.
    • Making personalized service a differentiating attribute for his firm; making himself available to clients “24/7, 365 days a year.”

    Guiding clients who desire principled investment strategies

    Jeffrey Scrimenti is an investment advisor representative and registered representative with Innovation Partners LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr. Scrimenti says he is very excited about providing clients with opportunities to pursue what he calls “life-affirming or values-based investing.” In the process of addressing this rapidly growing area of his practice, he has developed the following key considerations in his investment planning process:

    • Making sure a client’s investment plan flows naturally from their overall planning objectives, risk tolerance, time frame, and comfort level.
    • Identifying if a client has an interest in exploring principled investment strategies in the areas of socially responsible investing (SRI) and/or faith-based investing.
    • Educating clients that companies performing well on environmental, social, and governance factors can produce very competitive investment returns.
    • Determining the specific role principled investment strategies can play in the client’s portfolio allocation.
    • Working with third-party money managers that provide risk-managed investment strategies in the SRI and faith-based areas.
    • Scheduling regular reviews with clients to monitor their overall portfolio performance versus their own goals-based objectives.

    Educating pre-retirees on retirement and Social Security planning

    John Summers is the founder of Summers Financial Services, located in Victor, New York. Mr. Summers utilizes seminars and workshops to educate pre-retirees on issues related to retirement and Social Security planning. He has been providing financial education in his community and the surrounding area for about two decades, and he has earned the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) certificate. His workshops cover topics such as the following:

    • Strategies to maximize Social Security benefits.
    • Coordinating spousal benefits.
    • Understanding survivor benefits.
    • The pros and cons of claiming Social Security at different ages.
    • The impact of Social Security rule changes.
    • Creating income streams to last throughout retirement.
    • The roles of different insurance and investment products in retirement planning.

    7 principles for clients’ investment planning

    Michael Mandarino is the founder of 123 Investing, located in Apollo Beach, Florida. His firm provides “a systematic approach to financial planning” and offers clients investment guidance and tax-advantaged strategies, asset management, planning for generational wealth distribution, retirement planning, and planning for charitable giving. He says his firm is closely aligned with the following seven investment principles for clients, articulated by his broker-dealer, G.A. Repple:

    1. Maximum diversification.
    2. Risk management.
    3. Tax efficiency.
    4. Portfolio structure.
    5. Portfolio management.
    6. Moral investment screening.
    7. Risk suitability.

    Delivering value-added benefits services to the business segment

    Rick Magill is the founder of Service Planning Corporation (SPC), based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. SPC serves both the business and individual markets, providing a wide range of insurance, retirement, investment, and benefits products and services. Mr. Magill says he “approaches the commercial market as a business consultant” and helps clients formulate and implement benefits strategies that will meet their company’s specific needs. SPC offers several value-added services, including the following:

    1. Focusing on discovering and implementing cost-savings strategies for companies’ group insurance and retirement plans.
    2. Offering “best-in-class” service from plan implementation to effective annual renewals, assisting employers with employee education, billing, claims issues, and more.
    3. Investing in management information systems to provide clients with strong technology resources in HR support and compliance.
    4. Facilitating 24/7 access to a benefits web portal for plan sponsors and their employees.
    5. Providing wellness newsletters and other related services for clients, including negotiating wellness services from health-care providers and carriers.
    6. Consulting on the development of an employer “private exchange” benefits plan option for employees.

    6 core principles of successful financial planning

    Phimar Patterson is a financial planner and wealth manager at Blue Clover Financial LLC, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Patterson says he “embraces a holistic financial-planning process” and is experienced in serving clients through personalized financial strategies. Mr. Patterson emphasizes six core principles throughout his work with clients:

    1. Providing a comprehensive financial-planning experience: Financial planning is not just about insurance and investments, it is about the total financial picture of a client and figuring out what is important in their lives and to their future financial success.
    2. Education and integration: Clients lead busy lives, and we are there to be their trusted financial professional—helping them make sure they are implementing everything they should on a timely and coordinated basis for their financial situation.
    3. Analyzing interest costs, taxes, and fees: We cannot help clients totally avoid any of these, but we can help them make smarter decisions and mitigate their combined impact, increasing the leverage of their dollars.
    4. Organization and simplification: Do clients have redundant or unnecessary financial accounts? Do they have a systematic methodology to understand where their dollars are being employed?
    5. Balancing risk and reward: We use the term “conservative creativity” to help describe how we help clients achieve returns, while appropriately managing risk, across all areas of their finances, not only their investments.
    6. Continuous maintenance: We work with clients in an ongoing process that helps keeps them on track to achieving their goals.

    Creating differentiation that has a positive impact for clients

    Jon McCardle is the president of Summit Financial Group of Indiana. His firm’s assets under management have increased 700% over the past 10 years, which he attributes to “a remarkable team effort, a business model that works exceptionally well for our target segments, and a collective mindset driven by the pursuit of excellence.” He has also worked hard to create points of differentiation for his firm that he believes help set his firm apart from competitors. These include the following:

    • Acting in a fiduciary manner on behalf of clients.
    • Employing a process of proactive—not reactive—account management and constantly assessing client needs, progress toward objectives, and changes in clients’ lives and the market environment.
    • Using an investment approach for clients that emphasizes risk management, dynamic asset allocation, and active investment management.
    • Seeking the “best in breed” in investment selections, whether in funds, ETFs, or the strategies of professional third-party investment managers.
    • Recognizing that communication is perhaps the most critical skill set—stressing effective and clear communications in written documents, presentations, and meetings.
    • Believing that client education is paramount—that making complex ideas easy to understand and act on can increase a client’s comfort level.

    A holistic approach to the financial needs of small businesses

    Jim Hoogasian and Ed Gay, financial planners at Integrated Financial Partners (IFP) in Worcester, Massachusetts, take a team approach in working with a wide range of individual and business clients. The small-business segment is a focus for their firm and, through the resources of IFP, they can offer a wide range of services to small-business owners that include the following:

    • Financial planning: Strategies that can help owners lverage their business entity in working toward personal financial goals.
    • Retirement planning: Developing a road map toward lifetime retirement income.
    • Succession planning: Analysis and preparation for the eventual transfer or sale of a business.
    • Employee benefits planning: An appropriate benefit plan can improve employee retention and positively impact the company’s bottom line.
    • Contingency planning: Planning for worst-case scenarios and applying principles for sound risk management.
    • Wealth transfer planning: Developing an efficient and tax-effective estate-planning approach.

    Business coaching takeaways for financial advisors

    Mary Lyons, founder of The Wealth Woman and a managing director of Personal Economics Group, has found great value in working with a business coach. She has developed seven key principles from her coaching experience that she applies consistently in her practice:

    1. Build a process. Take your clients through the same process every time so that each of your clients has the same experience. If all your clients have the same experience, you become more referable.
    2. Measure everything. If you know your metrics, you can plan your revenue. If it takes 10 calls to get five appointments, and those lead to three applications, and those lead to one close, you know how many calls you need to close business. Measure the revenue for each close and how many calls are needed to hit revenue goals.
    3. Know your market. Look at your existing book of business and identify the common traits in the clients you love the most. Now focus on finding more of those.
    4. Make yourself valuable. Make introductions to other people who can help your clients personally and professionally. Your clients will appreciate it and so will the people you refer—which means more referrals for your practice.
    5. “Do it anyway.” Even when you are having a bad day, keep moving forward. Some days you may feel like a snail, but even a snail gets to look up and see how far he has come. Treat your practice as though you are a business owner. Everything ultimately comes back to you and your work ethic.
    6. Celebrate the victories. Acknowledge and celebrate your successes … but only for 24 hours. Then get back to work.
    7. Schedule vacation. A little time off does a world of good. You can’t accomplish great things running on fumes. Put vacation on your calendar like any other meeting.

    Sizing up client-advisor compatibility starts with solid discovery

    Telton Hall, CFP, founder of Utah-based Advanced Financial Planning LLC aims to deliver an exceptional wealth-management experience to clients, with a focus on successful retirees. He believes that compatibility between advisor and client is the key to a successful relationship. His robust approach to discovery meetings gets at core client beliefs that help ascertain if there is a good fit. Here are a few areas he explores:

    • Highest current priorities/current financial situation.
    • Defining a productive working relationship.
    • Core values.
    • Important personal relationships.
    • Outside advisor relationships.
    • Lifestyle interests and health concerns.
    • Long-term goals.

    A process-driven approach to client discovery

    Michael Mason, founder of Summit Capital Services LC, provides holistic financial planning to clients, with a focus on retirement planning. A cornerstone of his practice is developing highly personalized relationships with clients, digging deeply to discover clients’ important life and financial objectives. In the discovery process with clients, he explores the following areas, which he summarizes with the acronym FORM:

    • Family (F): What are the high-concern areas and dreams the client has for their family? Do they need to plan for educational expenses? What are their priorities in legacy planning?
    • Occupation (O): How long does the client plan to work? Do they have any plans for a career change? Do they envision having a second or third career in retirement?
    • Recreation (R): What is important in their lives outside of family and work? Do they have specific future goals for travel, a vacation home, or pursuing a hobby? Are they involved with their church? Do they see themselves being involved in volunteer or charitable activities?
    • Money (M): How do they handle their money? Are there cash-flow or budgeting issues? What are their prior experiences with investments? Their attitudes around risk? Do “gaps” exist in their expected retirement income?

    Sharing broad principles that help guide retirement planning

    Treta Sellers of Personal Economics Group in Dallas, Texas, places education at the forefront of her relationships with clients. She advocates for a holistic approach to financial and retirement planning and shares the following broad principles with clients at the beginning of the process, providing detailed explanations of each area:

    1. Understand the differences between wealth accumulation and retirement-income distribution.
    2. Take a long-term view of retirement, employing efficiencies spread out over many years.
    3. Be conservative in planning and return assumptions.
    4. Use an integrated planning strategy that manages risk across many components.
    5. Explore how insurance, fixed-income products, and investments can play synergistic roles.
    6. Use economic principles in approaching a retirement plan and allocating resources.

    Presenting a strong commitment to clients

    Jim Bales, founder and principal of James Bales Financial, LLC, and his son, Jacob Bales, provide comprehensive financial-planning services and implementation strategies to individuals and small businesses. They believe it is important to set high client expectations and share their mission statement, vision, and commitment with all current and prospective clients. The firm’s “Commitment to Clients” includes the following seven principles:

    1. To be committed to the firm’s mission.
    2. To set reasonable expectations, and then strive to surpass them.
    3. To always do what is in the best interest of their clients.
    4. To acknowledge a mistake and solve it immediately.
    5. To be proactive when an opportunity to help their clients arises.
    6. To take time to educate clients.
    7. To be proud of their work, but never satisfied.

    Building deep client relationships around values

    Ted Moyer, founder and principal of Legacy 360 Financial and Wealth Management LLC in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, says that his financial advisory practice combines a sophisticated wealth-management process with a values-based approach. He wants prospective clients to know and feel comfortable with his belief system and what to expect if they engage with his practice. He starts this process at the beginning of the relationship by providing prospects with the following:

    • His biography and personal life history.
    • An overview of the values and principles that inform his work.
    • What steps to expect in the process of wealth-management planning.
    • Answers to frequently asked questions.
    • The services and additional benefits available to clients of his firm.
    • How review sessions and outside referrals are handled.

    Uncovering life values to inform financial planning

    Larry Wall of Six8 Advisors in Hoover, Alabama, runs a fee-based, holistic financial-advisory practice that is oriented toward the financial-planning needs of multiple generations of families. He says that while a quantitative and analytical approach to planning is critical, “it all starts with a discovery process that uncovers family members’ values and aspirations.” He has interactive discussions early in the process that focus on four key areas:

    1. Life history: How have you arrived at where you are today—including life-changing events or defining moments?
    2. Life transitions: How will changes that you are currently faced with or expect to take place impact your life goals?
    3. Life principles: What are the values by which you make important life and money decisions?
    4. Life goals: What would you like to have, do, or be during the rest of your life?

    4 principles that lead to enduring client relationships

    Bob Chitrathorn of Providence Wealth Planning believes that technical expertise and experience is critical in developing sound financial and investment plans for clients. But he also believes that enduring client relationships can be built on the following four approaches to client service:

    1. Client education. Make sure complex issues are discussed in understandable language, and present options with a review of pros and cons.
    2. Create a comfort level. Clients need to feel that there is an atmosphere of openness and transparency, where they are comfortable understanding and taking ownership of their financial decisions.
    3. Instill confidence. A function of education and feeling comfortable with decisions, clients can see a clear roadmap that will help them advance toward their financial objectives.
    4. Reinforce your value proposition. Building financial plans that set clear expectations, are goals-based, and reviewed against objectives helps clients understand the value added for their long-term financial success.

    The importance of building professional visibility and credentials

    Advisors need to stay current on best practices in the industry, build their knowledge base, and enhance their qualifications in the eyes of potential clients. Here are four ways Bryan Nakamoto of Spectrum Wealth Management, LLC, in Honolulu has tackled these goals over the course of his career:

    1. Pursuing professional certifications and ongoing continuing education. Mr. Nakamoto is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC).
    2. Taking leadership roles in professional organizations. Mr. Nakamoto has held officer positions within the Financial Planning Association of Honolulu and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) of Honolulu.
    3. Earning industry recognition. Mr. Nakamoto has earned professional recognition from several organizations, including the NAIFA Hawaii’s “Insurance and Financial Advisor Professional of the Year—2011,” and Pacific Business News’ “Forty Under 40—Top Hawaii Business Leaders.”
    4. Giving back to the community. Mr. Nakamoto has been involved in a variety of community and school organizations and has provided mentorship to industry professionals entering the financial-services industry.

    Using innovative technology for client financial planning

    Having state-of-the art planning software builds credibility and transparency in the client-advisor relationship. Paul Humphrey uses a software-based financial-planning methodology that employs innovative technology for holistic financial planning and client communications. Features include the following:

    • A streamlined interface for client data collection, allowing for changes in assumptions as life circumstances change.
    • A robust risk-tolerance questionnaire and scoring that enhances the suitability of investment recommendations.
    • Monte Carlo analysis to stress-test plan assumptions.
    • Goals-based assessments of plan options and optimization of cash-flow, Social Security, and tax-sensitive strategies.
    • User-friendly graphics charting plan progress and a client portal that can aggregate accounts from different sources.

    Digital toolkit for client and marketing management

    Digital automation of advisory firm communications with clients, lead tracking, marketing efforts, and other customer relationship management (CRM) functions is fast becoming the wave of the future for progressive financial advisors. David Salley is rolling out an innovative approach provided by a third-party resource that offers compliant-friendly digital marketing strategies that include the following:

    • A total business management system for client and prospect CRM database management, calendar organization, and business segmentation.
    • A digital storage system that allows clients to upload important personal financial documents and can show consolidated investment performance from multiple accounts.
    • A virtual marketing assistant program that helps efficiently manage email campaigns, newsletters, events, and client appreciation communications.

    4 ways to customize your process for each client

    Each of your clients is different, which is why you don’t apply the same cookie-cutter approach when you work with them. Understanding the financial-planning needs of your clients and customizing your process to fit their unique circumstances can be a worthwhile task. These tips from Kelly Hubrig can help make it more manageable:

    • Establish a personalized schedule for planning and client reviews.
    • Coordinate with internal resources or trusted third parties to deliver a custom 360-degree approach to a client’s financial needs.
    • Maintain a database of client milestone events and reach out accordingly.
    • Follow up on any client referrals with a note or call of appreciation.

    Using financial education to attract & retain clients

    Janice Hammond hosts many educational events throughout the year to attract new clients and build relationships with current clients. She gives a short presentation about her firm and then moves on to financial issues that most concern people, including the following:

    • How to optimize Social Security benefits.
    • How to design income streams for retirement.
    • How to transfer assets to beneficiaries in a tax-advantaged way.
    • How the current market environment may affect your retirement.

    Finding the right fit with a business coach

    Doug Bauerband believes a good business coach can add transformational value to an advisory business. Here are his quick tips on finding and working with one:

    • Conduct exhaustive due diligence on potential coaches—your practice and clients deserve it.
    • Make sure your prospective coach is philosophically aligned with your belief system as an advisor.
    • Understand fully what services you will receive and how they will be delivered.
    • Design a meaningful and distinctive client value proposition with your coach’s guidance. It can pay huge dividends for your practice.

    Connecting with millennials

    Advisors from the baby boomer generation often mistakenly believe it is difficult to connect with millennials. While some millennials may be skeptical about the role of advisors, Rob Santoriello finds using these four core practices helps in reaching out to this group:

    1. Leveraging technology.
    2. Providing meaningful financial education content.
    3. Establishing a social media presence.
    4. Presenting a strong value proposition.
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