If the past several quarters have taught us anything about wealth management, it’s the importance of routine maintenance, diagnosis and treatment of our portfolios — even if they are ailing. Much like the consistent faith we place in our doctors for our health, so too must we place trust in our wealth management advisory teams.
Oftentimes, it is the most difficult periods that strain our trust and twist our thoughts. When managing your wealth, don’t let fear or uncertainty guide you. Wealth management is not a product, or even a series of products, but a long-term strategic approach to assisting clients through comprehensive planning, solutions and personalized service.
Just as you wouldn’t seek a dermatologist for a kidney ailment, your selection of a wealth management clinician should be based on a long-standing track record of success in certain specializations. Similarly, seek financial institutions with strong, proven stability and those that are regulated and monitored by federal oversight agencies. Finally, successful wealth management relies on the integration of banking, financial planning and investment management with professionals on client-focused teams working together to develop and implement the strategies clients need to meet their goals.
Bad economy, good opportunities
The past six months have prompted fearful retreats to the sidelines when it comes to managing portfolios. Like ignoring a persistent cough, simply brushing the problem aside will lead to further difficulty down the road. The toughest economic times often provide the biggest opportunities, but a bold and confident approach is required. A back-to-basics approach that examines the variability of returns by asset class — a long-trusted wealth management strategy — can be best suited for those who have lost confidence in their portfolio management.
Wealth management as a field has changed rapidly over the past decade. The advents of technology, the integration of a global economy and a better-educated investor have caused an evolution in the industry. The recent economic crisis simply highlighted this new reality. It also illustrates why your wealth management team should consist of those with differing areas of expertise. There are several upside factors to working with larger, established wealth management institutions. Besides a strong track record of success and regulatory oversight by the U.S. government, larger networks of wealth managers offer precise insight on how to best manage your money.
Ask questions such as: Should I invest in foreign markets? What are the best times to buy commodities and what kinds? How much cash should my portfolio have?
While one wealth management adviser can answer these questions broadly, the better analysis and decisions will come from members of your team who are experts in each sector of investment and have access to the latest, most up-to-date analytics and data.
Assessing your goals
Another key element to assess — and this is truer today than ever before — is your risk tolerance. This answer doesn’t come easily, but ask yourself a few key questions: When do I want to retire? What is my desired quality of life during retirement? What kind of estate am I planning to leave for my children and family?
By educating yourself on your expectations, you can clearly report your needs and desires to your wealth management team and, in turn, they can come up with various strategies and tactics for your portfolio.
Also, expect these goals to change. An investor just starting a family is in a far different financial place than an executive in his 50s and vice versa. Your wealth management team must fluidly advise you on what your portfolio should look like at different phases of your life. A trusted adviser and a seasoned plan is needed for every stage of the wealth management cycle: accumulation, growth, transfer and preservation.
Much like that patient/doctor relationship, education is paramount. Good physicians lay out clear, professional advice on the best way to care for your health. The best doctors will also advise you to seek second and third opinions. You should do no less with your portfolio.After all, you’ve worked hard to build a healthy portfolio.
For me, wealth management has been nearly a four-decade process of learning and building relationships with my clients. They trust me much like they trust their doctor. It’s a cycle of service that continues to evolve. As you would with your health, use the expertise of your most trusted confidants to help lead your decision making — it will pay off in the long run by keeping you healthy, wealthy and wise.
