The Independent Advisor's
Succession Plan

Traits of a Great Financial Advisor

by

Being a financial advisor is no small feat. The team at advisorRETIRE™ is well aware of the various things that go into becoming a successful advisor, and what’s interesting is how often these correlate with why financial advisors are more likely to go through the succession planning process than other business owners. Below are a few of the qualities that most successful financial advisors possess and how they relate to the need to plan for succession once retiring becomes a reality.

A Vision

Developing a reliable book of clients is something that requires time and patience, but the vision of the end goal is something that needs to remain in focus at all times. The patience for the development that will inevitably happen is a trait that makes for a great financial advisor. This trait not only carries the success of said financial advisor but into the advice that is being given to clients who are looking for guidance with their finances. Because there is always a vision of where one is hoping to go, financial advisors are more likely to go through the planning process so that they can feel confident once they’ve decided to retire.

Accuracy

Another trait that makes for an incredible financial advisor is accuracy. When dealing with finances of clients, there’s absolutely no room for error. That means that you are taking the time that you need and trying over and over again until the project that you’re working on is done right. Accuracy is also one of the key factors that make for a financial advisor that people want to return to. Because of it, we see that many financial advisors take quite a bit of time figuring out their succession plan because of how important the end result is. When you think of it, your succession plan is not only one client’s finances that you’re worried about, it now becomes your entire clientele’s finances, and the future of them, that you need to be concerned about when planning for your succession.

Time Management

Having accurate work completed for a variety of clients means that as a financial advisor you are able to manage your time well and move forward providing accurate guidance. This requires a good understanding of time management, focus, dedication and an unbreakable motivation to provide clients with the best, while still taking care of yourself. Sometimes this can mean scheduling follow-up meetings that allow you enough time to do research, use your resources and come to the best conclusion for your clients that are in need of financial advice. Understanding your time and how to provide yourself with enough time to properly prepare is something that goes into thorough succession planning, which is why this trait is such a great one to have.

When it comes to a book that you’ve been building, the last thing that you want to do is just pass it off to any one person. That being said, planning your succession is one of the things that require a great deal of time and time management in order for it to be done well. Our experience allows for us, a team of prior financial advisors, to schedule out the succession planning process for you so that this process becomes drastically less daunting. This is also one of the reasons that working with advisorRETIRE™ is such a fantastic opportunity because we too prioritize these traits.

Desire to Develop

Success is based on the ability to continue growing, and that is something that every financial advisor needs. Once an advisor has started, there is so much learning that continues to happen in order for them to be successful. This is another trait that is often used in succession planning. Questions are something that we expect and we are ready to answer. With financial advisors on both sides of this process, there is quite a bit of development that has happened. With you asking numerous questions on how to create the best succession plan for your clients, and our team constantly learning more about what we can provide and how to make these transitions nice and easy, there is plenty of growth that happens. Together, we are able to create a succession plan based on various factors that work for you and puts your clients first.

Loyalty

One of the primary reasons that succession plans are developed is because of loyalty to clients and to the field. As a financial advisor, you have dedicated your life to providing numerous people with guidance in one of the most important parts of their life: their finances. After spending so much time getting them to this place, the last thing that you’re going to do is simply push them off onto someone else. This loyalty is what drives most financial advisors to create a succession plan, and it is one that makes the succession planning process worth it over time.

Professionalism

With how serious of a topic finance is, most financial advisors are usually very professional in the way that they present themselves. Being a professional, your loyalty lies in your clients. That means that the absolute least that you can do is ensure that they are going to work with someone that is trustworthy and on the same level of as you. Finding that on your own is difficult, especially when it comes to finding someone that can meet the expectations that you have set for your clients. Having a team of professionals who are dedicated to doing so can at least guarantee that your clients will be passed off to someone that is up to the job and will maintain the quality you’ve provided to your clients up until this point.

advisorRETIRE™ wants to provide you with the confidence that you need to leave your book behind. Let us, a team of previous financial advisors, help you create a plan that has your client’s best interest at hand and leaves your reputation looking great. Reach out to our team today and allow for us to sit down with you and being the succession planning process.

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