Richard Beckel was recently quoted in an article in Financial Advisor: “…as business owners, financial advisors need to connect with their clients on an even deeper emotional level than they have ever had to before.” Beckel advises emphasizing client goals, not the advisor’s performance. In other words, focus on your clients by making them front [...]
A brand-new edition of Your Client’s Story: Know Your Clients and the Rest Will Follow is now available! As financial planning continues to evolve, the book is just as relevant now as it was when it was first published in 2005. Financial Planning recently reported that one of the top trends for financial advisors [...]
According to reporting in Financial Planning, consumers still don’t trust the financial services industry: just over one in three (36%) of 4,400 US adults polled said they “tend to trust” investment and wealth managers—the same percentage that said they “tend not to trust” them and that their “trust has to be earned.” The remaining 28% [...]
If your most important clients could grade you on the following listening skills report, how well would you score? My advisor gives his/her undivided attention when I am talking. A B C D E My advisor is tuned into me rather than thinking of his/her own response. A B C D E My advisor answers [...]
During the past year and a half (and counting), I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many of us have experienced epiphanies and made positive changes to our lives. While not dismissing the terrible toll the pandemic has taken on many of us, I think it’s [...]
When most consumers purchase an item or service, they do comparative shopping. If it’s a house, you go online and search for comparable properties. The same can be said when shopping for a car or a household appliance. When I speak in front of a group of financial advisors, I’ll often ask them, “How many [...]
“The lack of money is the root of all evil."—Mark Twain As many of you know, the fifth edition of The New Retirementality was published last month. The book includes lots of new research (more on that below) and plenty of new-to-this edition material, while retaining the time-tested tools and concepts readers have enjoyed and [...]
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -- Albert Einstein Last month, I approved the final files for the fifth edition of The New Retirementality. The new edition is a significant revision, including lots of new material. Look for the new edition in your local or online bookseller [...]
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." -- Winston Churchill In a study conducted last year by the FPA and other research partners, “The State of Client Understanding,” several interesting findings were shared. For those of you who already embrace life-centered planning™, the findings are not a surprise as much as an [...]
The Pursuit of Happiness “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -- Dalai LamaI recently received a letter from an advisor that talked about how The New Retirementality had profoundly impacted his life. Here’s a brief excerpt: “Most everyone we knew, young or less young, were letting fear or greed [...]