9.27.23: 🐘 SEC spies on advisor's phones?

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šŸ•‘ Read time: 3.5 minutes

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To Beef Frank With You…

Good morning, and happy Wednesday.

In case you missed it, the Wienermobile is back.

A couple months ago, Kraft Heinz briefly changed the name of the iconic car to the ā€œFrankmobile.ā€

Predictably, hot dog fans everywhere were outraged – but it looks like the universe is in balance again.

If the Advisorist got an official car, what should we call it? Send me an email if you can think of anything better than ā€œInvestment Vehicle.ā€

Jeremiah ā€œHeaded to the Dealershipā€ Desmarais

CEO, Advisorist

In Today’s Issue šŸ‘‡

  • šŸ’µ Your Clients Need to Save More - And You Can Help

  • šŸ“ˆ Research-backed Ways to Boost Lead Conversions

  • 🚨Getting Ready for a Potential Compliance Nightmare

And all of the week’s biggest headlines to make you the smartest advisor in the room.

šŸ’° Grow Your AUM by Helping Clients Save

Fidelity's latest retirement check-up made one thing clear: clients aren’t ready for retirement.

Here’s what the data says šŸ‘‡

  • The Hard Truth: 52% of households might struggle to cover essential expenses during their golden years.

  • Generational Insights: Boomers are doing best, Gen Xers are treading water, and Millennials... they're in troubled waters.

  • The Savings Dilemma: Current savings rates linger at a mere 10%.

So, where do we go from here?

The power to change these numbers lies in a simple habit: Saving.

It’s the prelude to investing and, by extension, a comfortable retirement.

The beauty? Unlike the whims of the market, saving more rests firmly in our hands.

Plus, increased savings could mean a boost for your AUM if clients opt to partner with you for their savings journey.

How to get your clients to save more šŸš€

Here are some actionable gems to consider when engaging with clients:

  • Automated Transfers: Automation is the future. Scheduled transfers ensure consistent saving without the hassle.

  • Embrace Budgeting: It's more than just tracking expenses. It's about recognizing and seizing chances to save more as part of a financial plan.

  • High-Yield Opportunities: Let clients know the perks of investing in short-term Treasuries and money market funds with better yields than bank savings accounts.

Headline Roundup

šŸ  Affecting Your Clients

  • Income-driven repayment could benefit up to 20 million borrowers [WSJ]

  • Medicare open enrollment period begins on October 15 [MW]

  • Government shutdown may furlough employees, interrupt services [KIP]

šŸ“ˆ Markets & Economy

  • 10-year Treasury falls from 10-year high, hovers around 4.5% [CNBC]

  • Rapid rise in hedge fund Treasury basis trade could cause trouble in debt market [FT]

  • Oil supplies tighten as Oman, Bahrain adjust refining capacity [BBG]

šŸ’¼ Industry Roundup

  • FINRA Study: Elderly fraud worse than previously thought [FP]

  • Podcast host ran $11 million Ponzi scheme, SEC says [TA]

  • $2 billion private banking team jumps from Citi to JPMorgan [FP]


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An E-Lab and Deakin University study shows that almost 75% of advisors experience high levels of burnout from work.

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He was so burned out he was ready to sell his practice.

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The surprising ā€˜windfall’ pivot

One of the big changes he made was installing an end-to-end system into his business to unlock additional cash with a unique approach to selling LTC products.

Fast forward to today and not only is Mike still in business – he’s expanding his office and hiring more staff.

The program that he implemented – which is called Care Forward, by the way – has become the largest portion of income in his practice.

So what is Mike actually EARNING from this?

Here’s what Mike’s doing now:

  • With over 33M between 65-74 y.o. in US - only 3% – THREE! – are prepped for LTC.

  • That means there are more than 32 million folks out there who need an LTC plan.

I’m not going to tell you how to run your practice – but that smells like a huge opportunity to me.

And with a program like Care Forward by Aegis Financial, there’s no reason any advisor in this business shouldn’t be crushing it right now with LTC….just like Mike.

šŸ‘‰ Click here for a short video + bullet points on the program

šŸ“ˆ How to Boost Your Lead Conversion Rate Instantly

Why do some leads convert, and others fall flat?

Here’s a secret: sometimes, it’s about how you play the lead, not about the lead itself.

While we can't always hit a home run with every pitch, there are a couple surefire ways to ramp up our game, enhancing lead conversions.

And guess what? These aren't just theories; they’re backed by solid research.

Unlocking Conversion Success šŸ—ļø

  • The Golden Minute: Dial within 60 seconds of receiving a lead, and your conversion chances skyrocket by a whopping 391%.

  • Consistency is Key: Fun fact: 93% of successful lead conversions happen by the 6th call. Persistence is a virtue.

  • Boost with Emails: A quick email can push your prospects closer to conversion. Those who receive an email find themselves 16% more inclined towards a successful phone conversion.

🚨 Get Ready: The SEC is Coming

If you haven’t seen what the SEC is up to, you need to read this.

The agency has a surprising new target in its sights right now.

The Focus? Off-Channel Communications šŸ“±

Yep, we're talking about personal texts, LinkedIn messages, and even WhatsApp chats.

These non-traditional communication methods are now under the microscope, as opposed to the age-old emails and formal office calls.

Last month, a staggering half a billion dollars in fines were dished out to 11 firms.

The spotlight's currently on brokers, but could it turn to RIAs soon?

Advisors: Should You Be On Your Toes? šŸ‘€

While the SEC holds its cards close, legal experts think the agency could come after advisors for the same behavior they’re targeting brokers for.

And let's be honest - most advisors do a lot of client communication through personal channels, which could put us in troubled waters.

Navigating These Waters 🌊

I'm no compliance guru, nor do I claim to be.

But I wanted to make sure you’re in the know, just in case you need to make any changes.

Maybe it's time for a deep dive into your compliance policies, a coffee chat with a legal whiz, or even a meeting with your firm's head compliance officer.

Because if there’s one thing certain, it's this: when the tides shift, it's time to recalibrate our compass.

The Best Thing I Saw All Week

When 2-year old Thea wandered away from her home in Michigan, her parents began frantically searching for her.

When they couldn’t find her or their two missing dogs, they contacted authorities to help.

Police and citizens worked together to search the remote wooded area near their home. At about midnight, someone made a discovery.

Thea was curled up by a tree, with both of her dogs protecting her.

ā€œShe laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe,ā€ state police Lt. Mark Giannunzio said Thursday.

Medical staff evaluated Thea after her adventure and she appeared to be in good health.

Dogs - apparently, they’re a toddlers’ best friend, too!

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