Advisors Need To Communicate Their Value To Younger Investors Hot

ScottMartinScottMartin  
 
 
0.0 (0)
Write Review

 

According to new research from Cogent, members of Generation X are less satisfied with their advisors than any of their predecessors.

 

Only 42% are happy with existing advisory relationships and a full 51% would be willing to switch.

 

The fact is that these people watched their self-directed friends capture 28% returns last year while their own accounts earned them maybe 11% -- and the difference bothers them.

 

Cogent theorizes that these assets are being managed as though their 30- to 45-year-old owners are actually much older, and so the portfolios are more conservative than necessary.

 

But it's the usual story. Younger self-directed investors are apparently getting those big returns by being overweight equities.

 

That's not a strategy that can outperform if stocks go south. But simply pontificating about the power of diversification isn't going to convince Generation X -- when confronted with the gap between 28% and 11% returns, advisors need to come up with hard numbers of their own.

 

Take that equity-rich portfolio and back-test it. How did it do in 2008-9? In 2000-2? Your younger clients remember these bear markets.

 

Compare those numbers to what one of your portfolios would have delivered. Maybe both lost money, but which lost least?

 

This is important because Generation X is not a fringe advisory demographic any more. These people have 75% of the assets, on average, as their older counterparts -- and they now account for 20% of the affluent population.

 

Furthermore, if the advisory business is going to outlive the Boomers, it's got to keep evolving. Cogent didn't look at Generation Y or the "millennial" generation, presumably because they're so young. 

 

But wait until these people -- steeped in Facebook -- become prospective clients.

 

This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only


User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account

A Strategically Focused CE Curriculum

With classes approved for over a decade by the CFP Board, IWI, and NASBA, Advisors4Advisors CE classes are an optimal knowledge stream for CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS®, CFA®, and other practitioners. It's not a grab bag of speakers willing to sponsor CE content. Nor is it a one-man CE course. It's a group of subject matter experts with amazing communication skills and a history of thought leadership that, together, give advisors a well-rounded knowledge system for running a professional practice ethically and intelligently.

CE Since October 2008

A4A CE classes for financial professionals began in October 2008, the week Lehman Bros. collapsed. Initially billed as “The Financial Crisis Webinar Series,” A4A connects advisors with authoritative sources on investing, tax, and financial planning, chosen by A4A Editor Andrew Gluck, a veteran financial reporter. A4A members get a stream of CE classes for an advisor who: 

  • holds a CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS, CFA or other designation requiring CE annually 
  • values monthly CE classes by Fritz Meyer, Craig Israelsen, Frank Murtha, or Andrew Gluck
  • diversifies a core of client portfolios in low-expense funds
  • invests based on MPT and economic fundamentals
  • advises on tax and financial planning as well as investing
  • needs financial counseling skills
  • wants the Certified Financial Counselor™ designation 
  • is building a brand as a thought leader locally or in a niche
  • wants the facts when bad news breaks
  • wants CE aligned with a content marketing system
  • wants 24/7 access to CE on-demand
  • insists on objective evidenced-based tax and investment planning analysis

 

MEMBER REVIEWS 
William Desormeau, Jr.  
It is not possible for me to overstate the cumulative value that Craig and Fritz have added for over 10 years to my investment advisory practice, as well as for personal and family financial planning. A4A gets my highest recommendation
Lynn Najman, CFP®
I’ve subscribed to A4A since its inception, and always find it intellectually stimulating and on point. It’s one of the few CE solutions out there that doesn’t waste my time by pushing product or talking down to me.

PeteDeacon-CPA-CFP
Pete Deacon, CPA, CFP®
A4A has had a profound effect on my business. Since 2009, I’ve relied on the consistent messaging and updates to run my business successfully. Being able to present the information from Fritz, and Craig's ongoing CE webinars has been a significant benefit.

fredericMayersen-phd-cfp
Fredric Mayerson, MBA, PhD, CFP®
I've been a financial professional and professor of finance for 35 years and find Fritz Meyer to be among the most engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, and experienced presenters I’ve encountered. They deliver an extraordinary amount of information in an extremely interesting way — sequentially and developmentally, utilizing pedagogical tools and techniques that few possess.  A4A to is the most consistently excellent CE program available.  
Ron Roge, MS, CFP®
I’ve been attending A4A many years because the CE classes are outstanding, and my time is valuable. Though I have over 35 years of experience, I’m always learning something new on A4A. I attend fewer conferences now because the CE is generally not advanced. If you want to learn from the best, in a faster, easier, and less expensive way, I highly recommend A4A.

John R. Day, CPA/PFS®

I’ve been a member since 2011 and never miss the monthly webinars with Fritz Meyer. I appreciate Fritz’s independent views on the economy keeps me updated on excellent  planning ideas. A4A is a great value!
NormanPolitzinerCFP

Norman Politziner, CFP

I wouldn't miss a Fritz Meyer webinar unless my pants were on fire. I've relied on Andrew Gluck's knowledge systems --client communications and CE -- for two decades. It's simply the best solution for tax, financial, investment, and risk-management professionals.®   

Dan Hawley, CFP® 

A4A, for over a decade, has been a great resource for useful and accurate information and CE. A4A and Advisor Products are bargains for an advisory practice. 

KevinBrosious-CFP-CPA-PFS

Kevin Brosious, MBA, CFP®, CPA/PFS®

I get CPA CE credit and CFP credit for the webinars.  But not only that, the A4A content is terrific