Displaying items by tag: clients

Financial advisors pour so much time and energy into building their businesses and cultivating high-quality relationships with clients. Yet, they often don’t put in a fraction of the thought when it comes to succession planning even though the implications are massive in terms of maximizing the firm’s value or ensuring that employees remain satisfied and business continues successfully operating. 

For ThinkAdvisor, Buckingham Strategic Wealth’s MIchael Kitces shares some advice on successful succession planning. He recommends starting with honest and frequent dialogue between owners and younger advisors who may have expectations about their role in the firm’s future. Older advisors can also choose to transition at their own pace and may give up certain responsibilities while continuing to do the parts of the job they enjoy. 

Part of this communication strategy is to be open about uncertainty rather than repeatedly changing plans which can lead to frustration. Another common mistake is to think about every decision as being binary rather than thinking about compromises between valid, competing interests. Finally, remember that succession planning is ultimately about maximizing the value of the firm in the present and setting it up for success in the future. 

Finsum: Succession planning is the final major decision that advisors will make in their careers. Here are some ways to maximize your chances of success. 

In a strategy note, Scott Welch, the CIO of Model Portfolios at WisdomTree Investments, discusses how markets are unusually calm right now but from a seasonal perspective, investors should get ready for a surge in volatility. 

Currently, markets are at their ‘calmest’ since prior to the pandemic, this is evident through the Vix or credit spreads although bond market volatility is elevated. Historically, volatility does tend to increase between September and November especially as trading volumes increase, and people become more mindful of risks.

According to WisdomTree, markets are currently not accounting for a slowing economy, hawkish Fed, and geopolitical tensions. The firm recommends that investors prioritize quality in their portfolios by prioritizing cash flow, strong balance sheets, and operational efficiency as these companies are best suited to handle a downturn in economic conditions.

The second consideration is sufficient diversification at the asset class and risk levels. This is a necessary antidote as many investors are tempted to veer away from their plan during these periods of volatility. With proper diversification and rebalancing, these periods can be used advantageously. 

Finally, it recommends investing in less followed parts of the market like managed futures, floating rate Treasuries, or commodities. These alternative asset classes can also provide additional diversification while outperforming in volatile markets. 

Finsum: WisdomTree shares some thoughts on the current state of the market, and why investors should prepare for a surge in volatility.

For financial advisors who are serious about growth, the most effective strategy is to simply acquire another practice. Of course, this requires significant resources in addition to a well-thought out plan to integrate the new practice into the existing one. It also means making tough decisions when it comes to headcount, organizational structure, and management. Most importantly, there can be no compromise when it comes to the client experience on both sides of the ledger. 

Advisors should consider this possibility especially as it’s going to be a buyer’s market given that so many advisors are nearing retirement age. Based on research from Cerulli Edge, nearly 40% of advisors will be retiring over the next 15 years. Additionally, advancements in technology mean that overhead costs don’t necessarily have to meaningfully rise with an acquisition. 

According to Bill Williams, the president of acquisitions at Ameriprise, the most important step is to conduct proper due diligence to ensure that no regulatory issues arise, and there is no issue with the financials of the firm being acquired. He also says that a common mistake is to use an acquisition to solve a problem. Instead, the buyer must come from a position of strength which means that you have a thriving, profitable practice with a healthy culture. 

Finsum: While there are many growth strategies for advisors, acquiring a practice can supercharge growth. Here are some important considerations. 

One of the biggest stories in the financial advisor recruiting world has been the exodus of advisors from Merrill Lynch to greener pastures. The big winners of these transitions have been LPL and Morgan Stanley. 

Last month, the Harris Rao Group, who is based in Phoenix moved to Morgan Stanley from Merrill Lynch. The team has a total of $630 million in client assets and generated $3.5 million in revenue last year. 

The group’s lead advisors are Christopher J. Harris and Nihaal M. Rao. Harris and Rao joined forces in 2005 and had been looking for a new home over the last couple of months. Both started their careers with Ameriprise Financial before joining Merrill Lynch in 2008. They were ranked #30 by Forbes in terms of wealth management teams.

According to sources, they wanted a place where there was less pressure to sell banking products and a more complete set of insurance products for their clients. Many of their clients are business owners, and they believe that Morgan Stanley offers better solutions for their needs.

Morgan Stanley also continues to aggressively recruit advisors and has been offering high-end deals to continue gathering assets. Over the last couple of months, they have landed just over $1.2 billion in client assets from Merrill Lynch. 

Finsum: Morgan Stanley continues to poach advisors from Merrill Lynch. The latest is a group from Arizona which produced $3.5 million in annual revenue.

The world is always changing. This applies to how people spend their time, do business, communicate, socialize, entertain themselves, etc. The same applies for financial advisors when they are trying to recruit clients. While the principles remain the same, the methods must be constantly adapted to new technology and generations.

For SmartAsset, Rebecca Lake shared some tactics that are working for financial advisors in 2023. While there is plenty of content on the tried and true paths such as referrals or getting involved in the community, Lake explores more unconventional routes.

An interesting angle is to cultivate relationships with estate lawyers. Often, someone gets an inheritance and is in immediate need of an advisor. A recommendation from the estate lawyer can land an advisor a high net-worth client with minimal effort. Similarly, a tax accountant can also be a great source of referrals especially as people are more motivated to get their financial life under control during tax season.

Another approach is counterintuitive and that is to seek out older advisors and ask them for referrals. Many older advisors are not really interested in adding new clients as they have enough on their plates. Thus, they may recommend that the prospect meet with a different advisor who can do a better job for them. 

Finsum: Financial advisors have to get creative to land new clients. Here are some unconventional approaches that are working in 2023.