Putting goals in short-, medium- and long-term buckets creates a touchstone advisers can refer to when people want to do something that conflicts with them.
It starts with the simple things, but not easy things. Asking questions. Listening more than we talk. Acting as a news filter to separate the valuable from the useless.
We need to make it clear that there's no such thing as zero risk.
We're artists whose finished work doesn't end up on a canvas but plays out in the real lives of our clients.
We must diagnose the needs of our clients before we ever think about giving a prescription.
While advisers can't make clients feel more secure, they can help them focus on the things they can control to feel more assured.
Financial advisers have both the blessing and obligation to help people cope with their money anxiety.
For most clients, paying attention to financial media distracts them from their primary goals.
Have conversations with clients about how investment decisions should be based on data and evidence.
The Department of Labor's new rule creates an opportunity to have some great conversations.
