Nerd's Eye View

MAY 1, 2025

Advisors spend a lot of time crafting their financial advice recommendations – and how they deliver those recommendations – for their clients. These ultra-personalized suggestions are central to what makes financial advice valuable and can have a significant impact on a client's life. or "How can I be helpful here?"

Clients 147

Clients Financial Advice Communication 147

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

In the early days of financial planning, serving clients often meant developing transactional relationships focused on facilitating trades and selling insurance. Today, the industry has evolved further, with a growing emphasis on aligning financial decisions with clients' personal priorities and life goals.

Clients 130

Clients Planning Financial Planner Financial Planning 130

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 21, 2025

When onboarding new clients, financial advisors often use a three-meeting cadence: a Discovery Meeting to gather information, a Presentation Meeting to discuss the plan, and an Implementation Meeting to finalize it. while also setting the tone for a long-term planning relationship built on trust and deeper client engagement.

Retirement 130

Retirement Clients Planning Estate Planning 130

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 21, 2025

When onboarding new clients, financial advisors often use a three-meeting cadence: a Discovery Meeting to gather information, a Presentation Meeting to discuss the plan, and an Implementation Meeting to finalize it. while also setting the tone for a long-term planning relationship built on trust and deeper client engagement.

Retirement 130

Retirement Clients Planning Estate Planning 130

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 24, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that while overall financial advisor headcount remains relatively flat, the RIA channel continues to gain share in terms of both headcount (as brokers break away to start their own independent firms and aspiring advisors seek (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Clients Commission 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Cristina is the CEO of Mana Financial Life Design, an RIA based in Los Angeles, California (but works virtually with clients nationwide), that oversees approximately $70 million in assets under management for 119 client households. Read More.

Financial Advisor 228

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Planning 228

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Mann, MBA, CFP I find that so many of my clients, regardless of income, have no idea how much money they are saving. First, I would ask clients how much they were saving each year for retirement. Then I would present the plan to the client. By Jennifer P.

Clients 105

Clients CFP Financial Planning Retirement 105

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 12, 2024

In the modern era of financial advice, the advicer/client relationship is tightly centered on trust. Then, because the client isn't "bought in" to the recommendations, they simply don't act on what the advisor recommends.

Clients 246

Clients Financial Advice Accounting Business Planning 246

Don Connelly & Associates

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

A significant challenge for financial advisors is translating complex financial concepts into terms clients can easily digest. For many, presentations serve as an effective medium for closing the gap between what advisors know and what clients can understand.

Financial Advisor 52

Financial Advisor Clients Education Communication 52

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JUNE 8, 2025

There is perhaps no other messaging priority for financial advisors than providing clarity to your clients and prospective clients. communicates to your clients why they want to buy life insurance, said past MDRT member Emily Prendiville, CLU, ChFC, in her 2015 MDRT Annual Meeting presentation.

Clients 92

Clients Financial Advisor Communication Insurance 92

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 15, 2025

For advisors, the main planning takeaway is that clients previously affected by the WEP or GPO can expect to receive more Social Security income going forward – in some cases significantly more – presenting opportunities that may positively affect their retirement planning. Read More.

Government 246

Government Planning Retirement Planning Retirement 246

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

MAY 20, 2025

By Antoinette Tuscano, MDRT senior content specialist Connecting with prospects, converting them to clients and then keeping them as long-term, happy clients depends on several different components, with communication topping the list. Communicate better with clients with these ideas from MDRT members.

Financial Advisor 72

Financial Advisor Clients Communication Financial Services 72

Wealth Management

JUNE 11, 2025

Ratner June 11, 2025 2 Min Read A client whose estate will remain non-taxable after 2025 has a policy in an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) that was presumably purchased for estate tax liquidity. It’s also an opportunity with not one but two, built-in time-sensitive calls to action by the client.

Wealth Management 166

Wealth Management Insurance Estate Planning Clients 166

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 26, 2025

Recent swings have been driven by economic policy shifts, persistent inflation concerns, and geopolitical uncertainty – all of which may unnerve even the steadiest of clients. During turbulent periods like these, advisors play a critical role in helping clients maintain perspective and stay grounded.

Clients 219

Clients Marketing Marketing Economics 219

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 27, 2025

that generates $850,000 of annual, primarily retainer-based, revenue serving 155 client households. What's unique about Alvin, though, is how he has grown his firm by using project management software Monday.com as a central hub for financial plan presentations and efficient client task management.

Financial Planning 130

Financial Planning Planning Management Financial Advisor 130

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 246

Clients Financial Planning Financial Planner Communication 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 19, 2025

In many advisory firms today, associate advisors don't begin with prospecting or running client meetings; instead, they start with back-end technical work, such as financial plan preparation, before gradually developing the strategic and client communication skills needed for greater independence. Read More.

Financial Planning 147

Financial Planning Communication Certification Planning 147

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 246

Clients Communication Financial Planning Retirement 246

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 246

Portfolio Clients Financial Planning Communication 246

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. the Great Depression or the Global Financial Crisis), showing clients when and to what degree spending cuts would have been necessary.

Communication 246

Communication Clients Risk Tolerance Financial Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

When it comes to helping clients clarify their most important financial planning goals and priorities, many advisors may find it difficult to facilitate the insightful conversations necessary to guide clients through an exploration of these values.

Clients 245

Clients Financial Planning Planning Communication 245

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 246

Clients Financial Planning Planning Communication 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 21, 2023

Suzanne is a Senior Financial Advisor at Meridian Wealth Management, an RIA based in Lexington, Kentucky, where she oversees approximately $110 million in assets under management for nearly 150 client households.

Clients 246

Clients Financial Advisor CFP Wealth Management 246

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

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Tax-loss harvesting – i.e., selling investments at a loss to capture a tax deduction while re-investing the proceeds to maintain market exposure – is a popular strategy for financial advisors to increase their clients’ after-tax investment returns. Read More.

Taxes 246

Taxes Clients Tax Planning Sales 246

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 3, 2024

Eric is the Managing Partner of Prospero Wealth, an RIA based in Seattle, Washington, that oversees $52 million in assets under management for 80 client households.

Planning 130

Planning Financial Planning Financial Advisor Clients 130

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

While strategic advice is crucial, advisors also face the challenge of presenting the strategies to clients in context, explaining different financial planning concepts, and showing clients how to implement these strategies (as well as pointing out any long-term consequences).

Education 221

Education Clients Financial Planning Communication 221

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 28, 2024

Historically, advisors haven't had many avenues to manage clients' 401(k) plan accounts, since unlike traditional custodial investment accounts, advisors generally lack discretionary trading authority in employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Assets 246

Assets Management Clients Compliance 246

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Click to download Financial Disasters Yesterday was kind of a fun day: Sure, it was a dark, damp, dreary February morn when I showed up at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriot, but it was also the first time I did a new presentation in front of a live audience since before the pandemic. Of the 35 slides, 30 were brand new.

Clients 311

Clients Economy Portfolio Marketing 311

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 246

Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 31, 2023

Read More.

Clients 246

Clients Retail Financial Advisor Recruitment 246

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Niching offers several advantages, allowing advisors to be more specific in their marketing, more targeted in their prospecting calls, and more efficient in their processes (since clients within a similar niche are likely to have similar problems, especially in niches of profession).

Clients 246

Clients Financial Advisor Financial Advice Financial Services 246

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 29, 2023

Jeff is the Owner and Founder of Cypress Financial Planning, an independent RIA based in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, that oversees $275 million in assets under management for 380 client households.

Planning 245

Planning Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor 245

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 13, 2025

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Ed identified the 1986 Tax Reform Act as an opportunity for him as young accountant to dig into the new rules regarding IRAs (that older accountants weren’t interested in touching), how Ed was able to significantly raise his fees in his accounting practice with little pushback from clients by focusing (..)

Financial Advisor 189

Financial Advisor Accounting Education Estate Planning 189

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 24, 2024

The need to address longevity risk has become increasingly important, allowing financial advisors to add even more value for their clients by ensuring that their financial needs are met throughout retirement. Ultimately, the key point is that a properly drafted POA is an essential part of every estate plan. Read More.

Clients 246

Clients Estate Planning Accounting Planning 246

Wealth Management

MARCH 18, 2025

How an agent should present the coverage choices to clients.

Insurance 234

Insurance Clients 234

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 12, 2025

For financial advisors, Section 351 exchanges present a potential solution for clients with high embedded gains, such as those who through the use of tax-loss harvesting have lowered their portfolios' basis to the point where it's no longer possible to harvest any losses to offset the gains realized in reallocating the portfolio.

Taxes 147

Taxes Portfolio Asset Allocation Assets 147