Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Eric is the Chief Financial Advisor and Co-Owner of Econologics Financial Advisors, an independent RIA based in Largo, Florida, that generates more than $4M of revenue while working with nearly 300 client households.

Financial Planning 206

Financial Planning Clients Planning Financial Advisor 206

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

When a financial advisory firm owner first starts their business, much of their time is spent on finding clients that they can serve. But as they (hopefully) onboard more clients and get busier with servicing those clients, they will also find that they eventually start to run short on time.

Financial Planning 221

Financial Planning Planning Recruitment Clients 221

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

So for advisors, it may be worth exploring whether there is anything to be learned from Ramsey's approach to financial advice – even if they may disagree on the details, advisors may find in Ramsey's advice a new and perhaps better way to communicate with (and motivate) clients. Read More.

Financial Planning 243

Financial Planning Planning Financial Advice Clients 243

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 20, 2024

Monte Carlo simulations have become a central method of conducting financial planning analyses for clients and are a feature of most comprehensive financial planning software programs. However, the results of these simulations generally don't account for potential adjustments that could be made along the way (e.g.,

Communication 230

Communication Clients Risk Tolerance Financial Planning 230

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 14, 2024

Danielle is the owner of Wealth By Design, a hybrid advisory firm based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, that oversees about $35 million in assets under advisement for 35 client households.

Clients 230

Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor Planning 230

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

A common service model for many financial advisory firms is to schedule annual client meetings throughout the year where the advisor meets with each client in the month they started working with the firm, and conducts a comprehensive review of all planning topics for the client.

Financial Planning 193

Financial Planning Planning Estate Planning Clients 193

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Though in practice, while a 1% AUM fee is a common 'starting point' in the industry, the actual fee structure can vary based on the firm's approach; for example, some firms may reduce the fee for high-net-worth clients, or charge an additional fee for separate and additional services (from deeper financial planning to add-ons like tax preparation).

Clients 246

Clients Financial Advice Financial Planning Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 8, 2024

Measuring a client's tolerance for risk is an essential (and required!) step when onboarding a new client, as making any sort of recommendation is impossible without first understanding how comfortable clients may be when their portfolios inevitably experience volatility. And while few (if any!)

Clients 237

Clients Risk Tolerance Financial Planning Planning 237

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 28, 2023

One of the key steps in the financial planning process is presenting the plan to the client, which has traditionally been done as part of a single 'plan presentation' meeting that takes place once the advisor has gathered and analyzed all of the client's data.

Planning 240

Planning Clients Financial Planning Education 240

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

The increasing popularity of financial planning has led to a growing awareness of how important managing finances and planning for the future can be. For most financial advisors today, a website is a critical tool that allows them to market their services and communicate their fees to potential clients.

Financial Planning 191

Financial Planning Planning Financial Planner Financial Advisor 191

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 2, 2024

In this environment, financial advisors have the opportunity to add value for their clients not only by giving a clear explanation about the current status of Social Security and the potential legislative changes that could improve its solvency, but also by modeling what (realistic) changes would mean for their clients' financial plans.

Retirement 246

Retirement Clients Financial Planning Taxes 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

One of the most important parts of a financial advisor’s value proposition is time spent meeting with their clients. These meetings allow advisors to listen to their clients’ concerns, make planning recommendations, and chart a course for the coming months.

Clients 246

Clients Financial Planning Planning Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 29, 2024

Financial advisors add value for their clients not only by helping them grow their wealth, but also by working with them to create a plan for how to use it. While much of this process may focus on the client's own lifetime planning needs (e.g.,

Estate Planning 234

Estate Planning Clients Planning Financial Advisor 234

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 3, 2022

For financial advisors, dealing with issues concerning clients’ children, from education costs to legacy goals, is a common part of the planning process. And no matter the reason, clients without children have unique planning needs that are important for advisors to recognize.

Financial Planning 234

Financial Planning Planning Insurance Clients 234

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 5, 2023

For many financial advisors, financial planning advice traditionally focuses on optimization: tax-efficient, continually rebalanced portfolios are often designed to maximize a client's wealth throughout retirement. Then, by assessing the bottom-line impact of reaching their goal on their financial plan (e.g.,

Clients 230

Clients Financial Planning Communication Financial Advisor 230

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 17, 2024

After advisors do all of the work of bringing on a new client (Marketing! And while all may appear well on the surface – the client rarely contacts the advisor with problems but they show up for every annual meeting – they may actually be feeling quite disengaged with the financial planning services being provided.

Clients 211

Clients Financial Planning Planning Compliance 211

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Traditionally, financial planning meetings have been held face-to-face in an advisor's office, and over the years, a body of research has emerged showing that how the advisor's office is laid out can have a significant impact on how clients perceive the advisor, their mood during the meeting, and even their resulting financial planning decisions.

Clients 228

Clients Financial Planning Planning Communication 228

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Over the past decade, a growing number of advisors have expanded into offering comprehensive financial planning services, reflecting a shift that not only helps them stand out from (increasingly commoditized) portfolio management offerings but also supports clients' broader financial goals.

Financial Planning 130

Financial Planning Sales Planning Retirement 130

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 15, 2023

Welcome back to the 346th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! Jim is the founder of MainStreet Financial Planning, an hourly, fee-only financial planning firm, and also created Procrastination Junction, a coaching program for fee-only financial advisors looking to improve their sales skills.

Fee Only 242

Fee Only Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor 242

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 16, 2023

Financial advisors create value for clients not only by giving good advice, but also by ensuring that the advice they give is actually implemented. In this guest post, Derek Hagen, financial behavior expert and founder of financial therapy and life planning firm Money Health Solutions, explains why change (e.g.,

Clients 209

Clients Financial Planning Planning Financial Advisor 209

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

The need for financial professionals to ask prospects and clients questions has a long history in the industry. One of the best ways to accomplish that goal is not to ask better questions, but to also ask engaging follow-up questions that build trust and rapport with clients. as judgmental.

Clients 233

Clients Communication Financial Planning Retirement 233

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Instead, advisors can take a more direct approach in introducing the next steps to becoming a client during a discovery meeting to keep the momentum going and potentially increase the chances that the prospect will become a client. Read More.

Financial Planning 238

Financial Planning Sales Planning Financial Advisor 238

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Prospective clients often approach a financial advisor because they have a problem. Perhaps they are approaching retirement and do not know whether their current path is financially sustainable, or maybe they have a complicated equity compensation problem to sort through.

Clients 214

Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor Retirement 214

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

While it can be easy for financial advisors to recognize the wide range of ways they add value for clients throughout the year, clients themselves might not be aware of what their advisors do for them behind the scenes outside of their annual meetings (e.g.,

Clients 215

Clients Financial Planning Planning Financial Advisor 215

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 10, 2024

In initial discovery meetings, financial advisors face the challenge of eliciting specific goals from new clients – a crucial step for crafting a comprehensive financial plan. Read More.

Clients 228

Clients Financial Advisor Financial Planning Retirement 228

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 20, 2022

In recent years, politically charged topics have become the forefront of news and media, and with the rise of access to digitally distributed media, it has become commonplace for clients to have concerns about the possible impact of political events on their portfolios.

Portfolio 206

Portfolio Clients Financial Planning Communication 206

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Anjali is the Founder of FIT Advisors, an RIA based in Torrance, California (but works virtually with clients nationwide) and oversees $65 million in assets under management for 45 client households.

Clients 192

Clients Financial Advisor Business Planning Taxes 192

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 13, 2023

Establishing successful client relationships as a financial advisor relies on good communication skills not just to present information persuasively and with confidence, but also to establish client rapport that allows meaningful and engaging relationships to be built.

Clients 219

Clients Financial Planning Financial Planner Communication 219

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

For instance, after a lifetime of 'maximizing' their finances (likely seeing their net worth increase steadily over time), some clients might find it difficult to see their portfolio balances decline in retirement as they draw down their assets to support their lifestyles. On the behavioral side, clients could 'practice' retirement (e.g.,

Retirement 227

Retirement Clients Planning Food 227

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 19, 2022

Andrew is the founder of Tenpath Financial Group and Planning Across the Spectrum, a hybrid firm based in Farmington, Connecticut that oversees $100 million in assets under management for 100 client households.

Financial Advisor 240

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Insurance 240

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Yet, despite the important role that charitable giving can play, studies show that many advisors hesitate to bring up the topic with clients. Advisors may worry about overstepping boundaries or feel uncertain about a client's interest in philanthropy. These statements often stem from clients' life stories and core values.,

Clients 182

Clients Education Financial Planner Planning 182

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

With inflation running hot, a potential recession looming, and both stock and bond markets seeing significant drops so far this year, there is no shortage of potential stressors for financial planning clients. But to an angry client, these quick answers could feel dismissive or combative, potentially escalating the situation.

Clients 203

Clients Marketing Marketing Financial Planning 203

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 29, 2024

Most financial advisors strive to provide excellent client care and prioritize a systematic process to maintain regular communication with their clients both on a scheduled (e.g., Suddenly, the question of, "What does it mean to provide the best care for clients at this firm as a team?" becomes a crucial one to solve.

Clients 222

Clients Communication Healthcare Planning 222

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2024

For many financial advicers, helping long-time clients identify and progress toward their goals eventually transitions into conversations around the best ways to enjoy the fruits of their labor once they reach them. And by ensuring that their clients are equipped with (and know how to follow!) Read More.

Clients 204

Clients Financial Planning Financial Advice Retirement 204

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 15, 2024

For financial advisors, an ongoing client service model often means finding ways to keep clients engaged and progressing toward their goals outside of the 1 or 2 typical client review meetings each year.

Clients 208

Clients Communication Financial Advisor Wealth Management 208

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 20, 2022

One way to do so is through a sabbatical, and advisors can play an important role in supporting clients who are interested in taking this step. With this in mind, advisors can help clients assess how their sabbatical plans will affect their other financial goals.

Retirement 227

Retirement Financial Planning Planning Clients 227

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Traditionally, investment planning has been at the forefront of how financial advisors add value for their clients. Combined with growing advisor (and consumer) interest in comprehensive financial planning services, the number of ways advisors can add value for their clients has expanded greatly.

Clients 227

Clients Fee Only Planning Advertising 227