It is with this context that Practical Perspectives, a leading consulting and research firm, examines how advisors work with individual retirement clients. This new 89-page report builds on prior studies and offers detailed, data driven observations and trends related to the challenges advisors face in serving retirement clients, the topics of greatest interest for additional support, how working with retirement focused clients is evolving, and specific firms offering the most effective support to advisors. The analysis is based on proprietary research fielded in February 2018 and looks across key segments including RIA, full-service, and independent broker-dealer channels. Input from more than 750 advisors is used as the basis for the report.
Key Topic Areas
How Advisors Conduct Business and Deliver Retirement-Related Support
· What types of support do advisors typically provide to individual retirement clients?
· What vehicles and solutions do advisors most often recommend to retirement clients?
· What specific role in working with retirement clients do advisors perceive has the greatest impact on clients?
Key Challenges and Needs in Working with Retirement Clients
· To what extent do advisors need additional support related to key aspects of working with retirement clients?
· What are advisors most critical needs for additional support?
· What are the most significant challenges in key areas such as managing investments, client engagement, and building a practice to serve these investors?
· What topics are most important for advisors to receive additional help going forward?
· What changes could improve the usefulness of support advisors receive?
Trends in Working with Retirement Clients
· What sources do advisors rely on most for support and how useful is that support?
· Which specific firms offer the most useful retirement-related support?
· To what extent do advisors specialize in retirement support and how large a share do these investors represent?
· How is the number of individual retirement clients served expected to change?
· Which income-oriented approaches do advisors rely on most for retirement clients?
· What sources of sales support do advisors rely on most when working with these investors?
Ordering the Report
The study is available in PDF format for the subscription price of $4,950 and includes a presentation of key findings and implications. To order the complete 89-page, 60 exhibit report or for more information, please contact:
Howard Schneider, 978-590-7290
or email howard.schneider@practicalperspectives.com
Introduction and Methodology
Individual retirement clients form the foundation for most advisor practices. These clients include those already retired, those nearing or in process of transitioning to retirement, those who are beginning to contemplate retirement, and others who are still accumulating assets in anticipation of retiring at some undetermined time. While retirement today may not look the same as for prior generations, most investors still need professional assistance in planning for and navigating longer, more active, and less linear lifespans. Advisors are highly aware of the importance of individual retirement clients to their practices. In turn, product providers such as asset managers and insurance companies, distribution platforms such as broker-dealers and custodians, and other resource providers such as software or information firms all recognize the crucial role of advisors in serving retirement clients. Many of these firms have created extensive resources and capabilities to assist advisors in leveraging the vast opportunity posed by the aging of the U.S. population.
This new report builds off our prior extensive research related to retirement issues and is designed to take a deep, data driven view that specifically examines how advisors work with individual retirement clients. As with all our studies, the emphasis is on sharing key insights and findings from the singular perspective of financial advisors working actively in the field today. This in-depth report combines distinct research insights with practical, consulting oriented analysis. The report is designed and written to provide relevant, actionable information to key constituents including asset managers, insurance companies, broker-dealers, distribution platforms, and other firms interested in learning more about how advisors deliver support to retirement-oriented investors and their needs for greater assistance in working with these clients.
“Advisors Working with Retirement Clients – Insights and Opportunities 2018” examines many aspects of how advisors interact with retirement clients. The analysis looks in detail at specific elements of working with retirement clients including the scope of support typically provided, the types of vehicles advisors recommend most often, the challenges associated with various aspects of retirement support, the specific firms offering advisors the most useful support for retirement, and the retirement-related topics of most importance going forward to advisors. It also provides a detailed profile of different advisor segments to help product providers and distributors develop and make available more targeted and effective retirement–oriented capabilities and tools.
In conducting the proprietary primary research for this report, respondents were asked to consider support for all types of retirement clients regardless of the stage in the planning cycle. The emphasis is on individual retirement clients who advisors deal with directly rather than support provided to qualified retirement plan sponsors and participants.
Among the key questions addressed in this report are:
· To what extent do advisors specialize in retirement support and how significant a share of overall assets and clients do retirement investors represent for advisors?
· Which types of retirement-oriented clients do advisors typically serve?
· How is the number of retirement clients that advisors support expected to change going forward?
· What types of support do advisors typically provide to retirement clients?
· What role do advisors play for retirement clients that has the greatest impact?
· What types of asset management and insurance solutions do advisors most often recommend to retirement clients?
· What approach do advisors prefer to use for generating income or cash flow for retired clients?
· How challenging is it for advisors to support retirement clients including Baby Boomers?
· What are advisors most critical needs for additional support in working with retirement clients?
· To what extent do advisors desire additional support related to key aspects of working with retirement clients?
· What are the most significant challenges in various aspects of working with retirement clients such as investment management, client engagement, and building a practice oriented to these investors?
· What are the most important topics for advisors to receive additional support and what changes are of greatest importance?
· What sources do advisors rely on most for retirement support and which specific firms offer the most useful support?
· What key sources do advisors rely on most for retirement support?
· What types of sales support are most relied on by advisors for help with retirement clients?
This report is based on input from a broad cross-section of advisors across key channels including Full Service broker-dealers (Wirehouse, Regional, and National firms), Independent broker-dealers, and fee-based RIAs. In February 2018, advisors were asked to participate in an on-line survey regarding retirement clients and resources available to them in running their practice. Advisors were randomly solicited across all delivery channels. More than 750 advisor responses were used as the basis for this report. Advisors did not receive any compensation for participation in the survey. Key findings in the report are provided for the complete sample as well as for the largest distribution channels – Full Service, Independent, and RIA.
Table of Contents
Section I: Executive Summary
Section II: Introduction and Methodology
Section III: Working with Individual Retirement Clients – How Advisors Conduct Business and Deliver Support
A. To what extent do advisors specialize in retirement support?
B. How significant a share of existing and new business for advisors are retirement clients?
C. What types of retirement clients do advisors typically serve?
D. How do advisors expect the number of individual retirement clients they work with to change in the next 12 months?
E. What types of support do advisors typically provide to individual retirement clients?
F. What vehicles and solutions do advisors most often recommend to retirement clients?
G. What specific role in supporting retirement clients do advisors believe has the greatest impact?
H. What approach do advisors prefer to use for generating income or cash flow for retired clients?
Section IV: Working with Individual Retirement Clients – Key Challenges and Needs
A. How challenging is it for advisors to support distinct types of retirement clients including Baby Boomers?
B. What are advisors greatest needs for additional assistance in working with retirement clients?
C. Which aspects of support are most important to advisors working with retirement clients?
D. What are the most significant challenges in managing investments for individual retirement clients?
E. What topics are most important for advisors to receive additional support related to managing investments for retirement clients?
F. What are advisors most significant challenges in engaging with individual retirement clients?
G. What topics are most important for advisors to receive additional support related to engaging with retirement clients?
H. What are advisors most significant challenges related to developing a practice serving individual retirement clients?
I. What topics are most important for advisors to receive additional support related to developing a practice serving retirement clients?
J. What changes could improve the usefulness of support advisors receive related to working with retirement clients?
Section V: Working with Individual Retirement Clients – Key Sources for Support
A. How satisfied are advisors with various aspects of retirement support?
B. What sources do advisors rely on most for support in serving retirement clients?
C. How useful is the support advisors receive from key sources in serving retirement clients?
D. Which specific firms offer the most useful support for working with retirement clients?
E. To what extent do advisors need additional retirement support from key sources they rely on?
F. Which sources of sales support do advisors rely on most related to accessing help in serving retirement clients?
Section VI: Characteristics of Advisors
Section VII: Outlook and Implications
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Positioning of Practice to Serve Retirement Clients
Exhibit 2: Positioning of Practice to Serve Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 3: Percent of Total Existing and New Assets and Clients Advisors Consider Retirement Related
Exhibit 4: Retirement Clients as Percent of Total Clients Served by Channel
Exhibit 5: Retirement Assets as Percent of Total Assets Managed by Channel
Exhibit 6: Retirement Clients as Percent of Net New Clients Served by Channel
Exhibit 7: Retirement Assets as Percent of Net New Assets Managed by Channel
Exhibit 8: Mix of Retirement Clients Served
Exhibit 9: Mix of Retired Clients Served by Channel
Exhibit 10: Mix of Clients Nearing Retirement Served by Channel
Exhibit 11: Mix of Clients Considering Retirement Served by Channel
Exhibit 12: Mix of Clients Working Towards Retirement Served by Channel
Exhibit 13: Expected Change in Number of Individual Retirement Clients in Next Year
Exhibit 14: Expected Change in Number of Individual Retirement Clients in Next Year by Channel
Exhibit 15: Extent Advisors Provide Support to Retirement Clients
Exhibit 16: Extent Advisors Provide Support to Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 17: Vehicles and Solutions Recommended to Retirement Clients in Past Year
Exhibit 18: Vehicles and Solutions Recommended to Retirement Clients in Past Year by Channel
Exhibit 19: Most Impactful Role of the Advisor in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 20: Most Impactful Role of the Advisor in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 21: Philosophy Used by Advisors to Generate Income or Cash Flow for Retirement Clients
Exhibit 22: Philosophy Used by Advisors to Generate Income or Cash Flow for Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 23: Challenge of Working with Different Types of Retirement Clients
Exhibit 24: Challenge of Working with Retired Clients by Channel
Exhibit 25: Challenge of Working with Clients Nearing Retirement by Channel
Exhibit 26: Challenge of Working with Clients Considering Retirement by Channel
Exhibit 27: Challenge of Working with Clients Working Towards Retirement by Channel
Exhibit 28: Challenge of Retirement Support for Baby Boomers Compared to Prior Generations
Exhibit 29: Challenge of Retirement Support for Baby Boomers Compared to Prior Generations by Channel
Exhibit 30: Most Important Areas of Additional Support for Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 31: Most Important Areas of Additional Support for Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 32: Key Investment Related Challenges in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 33: Key Investment Related Challenges in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 34: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Managing Assets for Retirement Clients
Exhibit 35: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Managing Assets for Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 36: Key Relationship Challenges in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 37: Key Relationship Challenges in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 38: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Engaging with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 39: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Engaging with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 40: Key Practice Management Challenges in Serving Retirement Clients
Exhibit 41: Key Practice Management Challenges in Serving Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 42: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Developing a Practice Serving Retirement Clients
Exhibit 43: Most Important Topics for Additional Support Related to Developing a Practice Serving Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 44: Most Important Changes to Improve Usefulness of Support
Exhibit 45: Most Important Changes to Improve Usefulness of Support by Channel
Exhibit 46: Satisfaction with Elements of Support for Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 47: Satisfaction with Elements of Support for Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 48: Key Sources Used for Support in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 49: Key Sources Heavily/Moderately Used for Support in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 50: Usefulness of Support from Key Sources Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 51: Usefulness of Support from Key Sources Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 52: Providers of Most Useful Support Related to Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 53: Providers of Most Useful Support Related to Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 54: Need for Additional Support from Key Sources in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 55: Need for Additional Support from Key Sources in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 56: Sources of Sales Support Relied on Most in Working with Retirement Clients
Exhibit 57: Sources of Sales Support Relied on Most in Working with Retirement Clients by Channel
Exhibit 58: Profile of Respondents by Key Characteristics
Exhibit 59: Use of Fee-Based and Brokerage Platforms
Exhibit 60: Use of Fee-Based and Brokerage Platforms by Channel