BCG Blog - Advisors

We may be excited to be living longer, but can our retirement strategies keep up? New research shows that financial advisors may need to reassess how they discuss retirement target date planning with clients.

Uncertainty in the financial services industry is not something financial advisors can control, but they can prepare for it. There’s no need for something new. Traditional methods of optimizing resources will work well for businesses regardless of size. Here’s how.

For many in the financial services sector, the options for client surveys are clunky, costly, chaotic, or confusing. When it comes to online survey companies, advisors may find that the aspects that drive the popularity of some programs can make them inappropriate for their business. We researched feedback about these customer survey programs to assess the qualities financial advisors were most likely to need. Here are our results.

An essential part of investment planning has always included drafting a strategy to account for a client’s level of risk tolerance. Yet, assessing risk tolerance has always been balanced on two imprecise supports. Advisors may want to consider whether their clients who are considering drastic changes are reacting to a volatile market or if one of the imprecise supports of risk tolerance measurement has slipped.

The volatility in the market, and the whipsawing reactions to it, have ushered in an email maelstrom of offers of help. Why aren’t more clients responding? It could be that clients don’t know how to respond to offers to help that aren’t specific. In this practice pointer, we review how advisors can lighten their clients’ loads in seeking help by offering specifics.

Can advisors help their clients manage investing anxiety in today’s volatile market by reinforcing their duties as fiduciaries? We think so. Here’s an overview of how advisors can detail their commitment to protecting their clients’ bests interests.

Many retirees are not well positioned for the health care challenges they may face in retirement because they did not take advantage of long-term care insurance. While many saving for retirement have begun optimizing savings through Health Savings Accounts, they may not understand how those accounts can be used for long-term care insurance premiums when they do retire.

Political turmoil may be rocking the markets and your firm’s office. How can advisors lead their teams during tough times? Five tips that work.

A Supreme Court ruling curtailing the EPA’s rulemaking for outcome-based regulation could change cybersecurity rules for financial advisors. Well, maybe. We discuss the details by reviewing the Court’s decision and the federal framework for financial institution cybersecurity safeguards.

There may be a new player in the fiduciary duty sandbox, and it involves ESG. Most often when discussing fiduciary duties, the topic at hand involves the research and appropriateness of decision making. Issues of loyalty and trust in investment advice are always worth following.

By this point in January, most people have stepped aside from the aspirational goals they set for the New Year. For many advisors, increasing their marketing efforts made it into their goals for 2025. It can be difficult to carry through on this goal. The key may be to find ways to maximize efficiency when it comes to marketing.

When it comes to alternative investments, do clients want new options or a new approach to the traditional ones? We review the performance of traditional alternative investments, such as private equity, real estate, and commodities and assess new trends.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s tempting to say that the key themes of 2024 for the investment profession were the same as for years past. You might even ask yourself, is it worth it to do a year in review? We think so.

Trendspotting in alternative investing include generational preferences as well as a close look at the traditional alternative asset classes. And oh, don’t overlook bonds.

Bernie Madoff may have faded from memory but that doesn't mean prospective clients aren't worried about what they hear on the news. Advisors may want to consider how to respond to these hits to the industry's reputation when planning marketing strategies.

Some analysts are making predictions for how the Trump Administration may impact retirement planning based on changes in personnel, others are focused on the changed regulatory structure. But one thing is for certain: the market may be volatile once again.

The SEC may be making news lately for its crackdown on cryptocurrency, but the real story may be how its agenda has been changing concerning enforcement actions. Here are a few things financial advisors should consider.

Income variability, market volatility, and continuing international conflict have led clients to increasingly think of including several generations in one financial plan. Here’s what to know about creating family financial plans.

Market costs have been putting many small financial firm owners in a bind. They may find themselves between the rock of needing to increase warm leads and the hard place of reducing costs. There is an answer, and it may be to borrow a popular trick from household management: meal prepping.

This summer FINRA released its industry snapshot for 2024. This report provides a solid overview of changes in the industry over the last year. Financial advisors may want to keep an eye on any trends such as an industry consolidation towards firms with more experience and growth of registered agents in the South and Southeast.

As Quarter Four draws near for many investors, clients may be thinking of preparing for their year-end discussions on tax preparations. But advisors may want to take time to talk with them about the potential for tax changes that 2025 could bring.

The Supreme Court’s summer term in 2024 may be one of the most memorable in decades. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to look away. Three cases set for argument in October of 2024 could have impacts for financial advisors and investment professionals. Here’s what you need to know.

Inflation may be slowing, but for many clients the cost of a tuition for their children remains a serious concern. Advisors may want to offer proactive information for clients on these accounts. And what better way to educate clients than to rely on the 5Ws learned early on in the class room: who, what, where, why, when and how much

Clients may need their advisor to bring up the topic of family wealth management so that they have a fully informed retirement plan. Here are some of the basics clients may need to discuss with their advisors but may need help initiating a discussion.

Given the dynamic pace of change in the financial industry and to financial advisors finding new marketing products, advisors may want to stop and listen before firing up a new marketing plan involving cross-selling and collaboration. Here is a background on the topic so that advisors can spot issues to discuss with their compliance and legal counsel.