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A few months ago, many of you were kind enough to complete a series of two reader surveys - one for the Nerd's Eye View blog, and another for The Kitces Report newsletter. In the coming months, I'm excited to announce that you'll be seeing the fruits of those survey results, in the form of a number of upgrades and improvements to this platform. The visual look of the blog will be modernized (yes, including an increase in the default font size!), the comment system will be replaced, and several enhancements will be made to the members section for newsletter subscribers. In addition, we will begin to offer periodic webinars for continuing education credit, and later this year the written content of the blog will be complemented by a new podcast.
You'll see these changes roll out incrementally in the coming months. For the time being, this is just an announcement of changes to come, with an important note that if you're using an RSS reader to follow the content of this blog, there's now an updated RSS feed link to use (as the details of this post explain, you just need to complete a simple update to your blog reader software to ensure you continue to receive new content in the future).
In the meantime, thank you to all of you who voted Nerd's Eye View as #1 in the recent Zywave survey of the top news sites and blogs for financial advisors!
As I come up to speed on the world of blogging, it is my goal to make it easier for all of you to read the content on this website. Accordingly, I have configured this blog's content to publish via FeedBurner, so that you can conveniently using any number of blog reader programs to keep up with new content.
A career as a financial advicer can be remarkably rewarding, as it offers the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on clients' lives all while making a good living. However, the main hurdle that almost every advicer faces, particularly those who launch a practice from scratch, is that the early years are often a struggle as new advicers try to attract clients, generate revenue, and start to build their businesses. And, even for those advicers who have deliberately identified a particular niche to serve, the need to generate cash flow can sometimes mean onboarding clients that might not ideally fit into their long-term vision. However, many advicers successfully navigating those first few years can find that they've reached a point where they've taken on too much and need to be more selective about using their time and the clients they serve.
In our 137th episode of Kitces & Carl, Michael Kitces and client communication expert Carl Richards discuss the most important factor that determines an advicer's eventual success, issues that can arise from early-stage dynamics in their career, and strategies to implement once they've reached their own professional capacity.
The financial advice industry is notorious for having a high failure rate among new entrants, which makes getting through the first few years crucial. In fact, research shows that the single greatest determinant of an advicer's success is the number of years in the profession, and it's often the case that the only way to stay in the game long enough to get through those difficult early years is to say "yes" to any source of revenue they can generate. For many advicers, though, the challenge isn't always about taking on the 'wrong' clients; instead, it's more often about making unsustainable promises around pricing and relationship length; advicers who have successfully built viable businesses can feel guilty about having to break promises made to early clients who might be better served elsewhere.
Meanwhile, targeting a particular niche is one of the most important decisions an advicer can make to help them focus on serving ideal clients and transition out of those initial difficult years. While newer advicers might chafe at the notion of marketing to a smaller audience, the reality is that, while growth rates for advicers who niche versus those who don't are similar over the first 3 years, over the ensuing years, the niching advicers tend to grow much faster, not because they decided that they wouldn't serve anyone who wasn't their ideal client, but because they put all their marketing 'eggs' in their niche 'basket'!
Figuring out where an advicer's own personal capacity tipping point lies can also be a challenge. Instead of determining where that point is ahead of time, advicers often realize that they've reached their limit only after they've blown past it and are starting to feel uncomfortable. It's at that point where implementing some sort of filtering mechanism can be most helpful, whether it be creating a "stop-doing" list, getting accustomed to saying "no" to tasks that don't benefit their business and wellbeing, or implementing an "automate, delegate, or delete" framework.
Ultimately, while many advicers face the same initial challenges, those who avoid making unrealistic promises early on and focus on serving a niche often transition out of those first few difficult years more easily. The key point is that, by being intentional about the market they serve and the work they do, advicers can put themselves in the best position they can to offer their clients the excellent service they deserve!
A little over 20 years ago, when the Internet was still just a few years into gaining widespread use, the SEC understood its potential to transform how financial advisory firms conducted business with the ability to deliver advice digitally, lowering the barriers to serve clients across the country. However, the challenge for firms that wanted to use their websites to advise clients, but didn't otherwise qualify for SEC registration, was that they would ostensibly need to register in all 50 states… at least until they qualified as a "multi-state adviser".
Understanding that this would place an unnecessarily heavy burden on advisors, the SEC issued an exemption in 2002 allowing for certain "Internet advisers" to register with the SEC even though they wouldn't otherwise qualify to do so. The rule, colloquially referred to as the "Internet Adviser Exemption", applied to "entities that exclusively provide investment advice through an interactive website", save for a de minimis exemption of fewer than 15 clients served outside of the interactive website within the preceding 12 months.
A lot has changed over the ensuing 20+ years since the issuance of the Internet Adviser Exemption, and after observing numerous instances of non-compliance (and issuing a Risk Alert to that effect in 2021), the SEC issued an amendment to the Exemption on March 27, 2024. The amendment didn't make any sweeping changes to the requirements for firms to qualify for the exemption, but instead was intended to offer additional clarification around "what it means in 2024 truly to provide an exclusively internet-based service."
Specifically, the amendment clarifies that an interactive website (which now also includes mobile applications or similar digital platforms) must be "operational" at "all times", save for temporary outages due to periodic maintenance or factors outside the adviser's control. Moreover, the advisory services must actually be delivered through the website using "software-based models, algorithms, or applications" only, thus barring investment adviser personnel from generating, modifying, or providing "client-specific investment advice through the operational interactive website or otherwise." The amendment also eliminates the previous de minimis threshold, now requiring Internet investment advisers to provide advice to all of their clients exclusively through an operational interactive website without exception, and requires that advice be provided on an "ongoing basis" to at least 2 clients at all times.
Ultimately, the key point is that while the original intent of the Internet Adviser Exemption created in 2002 was to reduce the regulatory burden of SEC registration for advisers who provide advisory services through a website using software-based models, algorithms, or applications, the recent 2024 amendment offers several clarifications and updates to the rules for qualifying for the exemption. And while the updates may have constricted the already narrow path to SEC registration even further, the good news is that the amendment remains agnostic in regard to technology, which means that the Internet Adviser Exemption should remain evergreen for years to come.
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Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 383rd episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!
My guest on today's podcast is Troy Sharpe. Troy is the Founder and CEO of Oak Harvest Financial Group, an RIA based in Houston, Texas, that oversees approximately $750 million in assets under management for about 1,000 client households.
What's unique about Troy, though, is how his firm's emphasis on driving organic growth through a multi-pronged marketing strategy, including a radio show, in-person seminars, and most substantively and scalably, a YouTube channel, that has allowed the firm to grow its AUM from $85 million to $750 million during just the past 5 years.
In this episode, we talk in-depth about Troy's approach to marketing, from how his firm has built a strong prospect pipeline in part by taking educational topics he covered in his seminars and turning them into YouTube videos aimed at his firm's target client of pre-retirees and retirees, why Troy typically does not issue immediate calls to action during these videos to get prospects, instead preferring to build trust with viewers over time and providing them a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way back to the advisory firm when they're ready, and how Troy structures his marketing efforts into what he characterizes as short, medium, and long-term marketing initiatives, for which he targets an overall ROI of generating 3 times the dollars in new revenue for every marketing dollar spent.
We also talk about how Troy's firm has hired a number of marketing professionals to improve the performance of its marketing campaigns, how Troy has also grown his advisor staff to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding client base, and adopted a 3-advisor pods approach to ensure clients have touchpoints with multiple advisors (and that advisors can focus their work on what they do best), and how Troy created a system for his firm called the "Retirement Success Plan" that encompasses their approach to dynamic retirement income planning, incorporating both a client's willingness and capacity to take risk, and then generating a spending plan that adapts (and that the firm monitors) over time.
And be certain to listen to the end, where Troy explains why he believes that his firm's ability to communicate in a jargon-free way that prospects can relate to is what's really driving his firm's growth (across all the in-person, radio, and video channels it markets towards), how Troy learned patience and the need to be more measured when committing to a new marketing strategy that sometimes takes 6-12 months to really start to pan out, and how Troy's constant growth focus has often led to a lot of self-doubt over whether he was over-investing and still not getting to where he wanted to be, and how the book "The Gap and the Gain" helped to build more appreciation for how far the firm has already come.
So, whether you're interested in learning about leveraging YouTube videos to drive client growth, how to measure marketing efficiency and set goals for the output of marketing spend or how to manage a rapidly growing firm, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Troy Sharpe.
Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 382nd episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!
My guest on today's podcast is Tyson Ray. Tyson is the CEO of FORM Wealth Advisors, a hybrid advisory firm based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, that oversees approximately $900 million in assets under management for just over 800 client households.
What's unique about Tyson, though, is how he has developed a planning process he calls their "Total Relationship" approach, which puts an emphasis on determining a client's near-term lump sum spending needs like a new car purchase or a big vacation, and ensuring the portfolio is built around having sufficient cash available for those goals, which Tyson has found can reduce the number of panicked phone calls that come during a market downturn (when sometimes clients aren't really upset about their performance, per se, they're just stressing over a near-term cash flow need that they don't want to liquidate for when their portfolio is down).
In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Tyson's "Total Relationship" approach leads to particularly close relationships with their clients, including by developing a system to send what he calls "wow factor" gifts to mark key moments in the lives of the firm's clients, their families, and even their pets, why Tyson's firm breaks out its AUM fee between portfolio management and ongoing client service instead of presenting clients with a single unified fee, and how Tyson's firm has grown through acquisitions, including the hard lessons Tyson learned about conducting appropriate due diligence on potential acquisition targets.
We also talk about how Tyson discovered that by hiring additional junior advisors, he could reduce his stress levels by only stepping into client conversations when his more experienced level of expertise was really needed, why Tyson found the transition from 7 to 12 people on staff was particularly difficult and how growing beyond that point has made his life much easier, and why Tyson wished he had started earlier in hiring a Chief Operating Officer to help manage their growing staff team.
And be certain to listen to the end, where Tyson shares his experiences writing 2 books about the financial advice industry (including how Tyson once received hand-written feedback on a draft from industry guru Nick Murray), the benefits Tyson sees for newer advisors of 'apprenticing' under more senior advisors to learn industry best practices (and spot those that might be out of date), and how Tyson's experience when he was asked to be a pallbearer at a client's funeral cemented for himself the tremendous impact financial advisors can have towards the end of their clients' lives.
So, whether you're interested in learning about how to build "Total Relationships" with clients to ease their stress and strengthen their loyalty to the firm, how to navigate staffing issues as a growing firm, or about the opportunities and challenges of growing through acquisitions, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Tyson Ray.
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that CFP Board announced that it has crossed the milestone of 100,000 CFP professionals in the United States, and despite having just celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, just set a record high in the number of advisors sitting for the CFP exam this March, reflecting the value many financial advisors and consumers place on the brand, including the requirements to obtain it as well as the standards CFP professionals must follow (though, as CFP Board has recognized, there is potential room for it to improve in both of these areas!).
Also in industry news this week:
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has completed its review of the Department of Labor's new "fiduciary rule", indicating that it could be released in the coming days or weeks (though, like its predecessors, its ultimate disposition is likely to be determined in the courts)
- The IRS announced this week that it is excusing Non-Eligible Designated Beneficiaries who inherited IRAs and are subject to the "10-year rule" to distribute these accounts from having to take RMDs again in 2024 (just as it did for 2021, 2022, and 2023) and indicated that Final Regulations regarding RMDs for those in this position could be coming this year
From there, we have several articles on retirement planning:
- 4 unique risks retirees face when drawing down their assets, from sequence of returns risk to tax risk, and how financial advisors can help clients mitigate them
- How the differential effects of the "Great Recession" have led to younger Baby Boomers having fewer assets than their older Boomer counterparts
- How financial advisors can help their clients identify and avoid a potential retirement income "death spiral", whereby a client's assets are depleted over the course of only a few years
We also have a number of articles on financial advisor marketing:
- 5 relatively low-cost marketing tactics for financial advisors, from expanding the types of Centers Of Influence they approach to leveraging "social proof" to attract clients
- How advisors can boost the relevancy and effectiveness of the "Calls To Action" (CTAs) on their website
- Strategies advisors can use to build urgency and help reluctant prospects overcome their hesitance to sign on to become clients
We wrap up with 3 final articles, all about online security:
- A recently released feature can help protect iPhone owner's private data from thieves who are able to access their phone and passcode
- How activating 2-factor authentication and other security measures can help protect users' social media accounts
- Why the "private browsing" feature of internet browsers does not provide the level of anonymity users might assume
Enjoy the 'light' reading!
After advisors do all of the work of bringing on a new client (Marketing! Prospecting! Onboarding! Compliance!), it can sometimes feel natural to let the relationship go into "maintenance mode". 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. This can result in fewer referrals and even the loss of the client, who might eventually opt to move their accounts to another (more appealing) advisory firm.
Some types of client disengagement can be difficult to detect until it's too late, as client disengagement manifests, by definition, as a lack of action, up until the client decides to leave the advisor altogether. Given how difficult it can be to detect forms of disengagement, it may be helpful to think of different levels of client engagement as part of a spectrum, where the most engaged client recognizes their advisor as a partner and guide; they are open to exploring new ideas proposed by their advisor, ask questions, and are willing to develop and maintain good habits. Clients on the lower levels of client engagement may tend to disregard their advisor's instructions or have a limited understanding of what their advisor can do, simply viewing them as problem-solvers for pain points and not as sources of guidance to plan for – and reach! – important goals.
One particular key attribute of many disengaged clients is that they tend not to reach out when issues arise, which can create a vicious cycle precluding an advisor from providing deeper value (because they didn't know there was an opportunity to do so in the first place) and resulting in the client's failure to recognize the advisor as someone who could have provided guidance and value, reinforcing their decision not to reach out for help… and so on.
However, advisors can address client disengagement by using questions that encourage client participation and invite them to engage more actively in the financial planning process. Questions such as "What is different from the last time we met?" and "What changes are coming up soon?" can help to reveal relevant talking points and planning opportunities at the beginning of the meeting that the disengaged client may not have thought about mentioning on their own. Additionally, checking in with clients deeper into the meeting to monitor any potential financial anxiety can facilitate a more open and honest discussion if there are issues that a client has, but have not yet surfaced. For example, advisors might ask how confident the client feels with their financial plan or what worries them most (or least) about their finances. Finally, asking for feedback at the end of the meeting can help the client recognize that the advisor values their engagement and input; it also helps them recognize the progress they've made and the advisor's role in achieving that progress. Facilitating another opportunity for honesty and discussion provides another way to build trust and encourage client engagement.
Ultimately, the key point is that highly engaged clients not only provide more referrals and recognize their advisors' value, but they also tend to be more enjoyable to work with. And by carefully choosing the right questions to ask, advisors can recognize their clients' engagement levels and ensure that more of them are (and stay!) fully engaged!
Welcome back to the 381st episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!
My guest on today's podcast is Ashley Quamme. Ashley is the Founder of Beyond The Plan, a consulting firm based in Evans, Georgia, that offers a Fractional Financial Behavioral Officer service including consulting and training to advisory firms and even direct meeting support for new or existing clients.
What's unique about Ashley, though, is how her background in psychology and couples therapy allows her not only to be able to help clients navigate their relationships with money but also to help advisors get their clients unblocked so they can actually move forward and implement the advisor's financial planning recommendations to achieve their financial goals.
In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Ashley helps advisory firms figure out why their clients are getting stuck in their financial journey and, through an offering of advisor training and even supporting directly in client meetings, guides clients through the necessary changes in behavior to achieve their desired outcomes, how Ashley assists advisors with the "Self-Work" of better knowing and understanding their own behaviors, biases, and potential blind spots that could otherwise result in certain types of clients being more challenging to work with, and how Ashley developed an Office Hours format for advisors to talk through particularly challenging client situations and receive structured feedback on how they might improve their approach with their most difficult clients.
We also talk about how Ashley built on her experience as a couples therapist, after hearing 20-25 clients/week come in for couples therapy that often ended up tying into a discussion of financial issues, to pursue and learn how certain therapy tools and techniques could effectively translate to the world of financial advice, how Ashley uses the Klontz Money Script Inventory and Datapoints' Building Wealth Assessment to help advisors' planning clients gain a better understanding of themselves through an analysis of their relationship and mindset as it relates to money, and the way that Ashley introduces herself into advisors' client meetings to reduce any perceived awkwardness when joining the meeting and ensure that clients themselves feel supported.
And be certain to listen to the end, where Ashley shares the surprises and challenges she went through when she decided to launch her own consulting practice as an independent business owner to serve financial advisors (which unfortunately came right in the midst of the COVID pandemic), how surprised Ashley was when she realized how much of a demand and support there is for financial behavioral services within the financial advisory industry, and the way Ashley's focus and success shifted when she stopped trying to find her compass and figure out what was next after the first decade of her career, and instead simply looked internally to figure out what she enjoyed doing… and let that become her compass instead.
So, whether you're interested in learning about how to get clients unstuck on their financial journey, how the principles of couples therapy can be applied in the financial planning context, or tools that can help clients better understand their relationship and mindsets with regard to money, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Ashley Quamme.