Advisers and Clients Have Different Priorities, Study Shows

In the survey, advisers indicated that in the past six months, their clients most frequently initiated conversations about various concerns, including:

• Government policy (58%)
• Market volatility (51%)
• Global events (41%)

Advisers themselves were most likely to initiate conversations about:

• Portfolio performance (42%)
• Keeping up with inflation (35%)
• Estate planning (35%)
• Tax implications of investing (32%)

While 76% of advisers reported being optimistic about the capital markets broadly over the next three years, only 29% indicated that their clients shared that view. The survey also saw that 81% of advisers report that they believe client needs differ by gender, and 65% say that they find investor sentiment on the markets also differs by gender.

“Advisers and their clients are having conversations that are starting in very different places. Investors are looking for a reality check on their current situation and direction as to what they need to do in the future and advisers can help clients feel more confident by first putting their concerns into perspective and then refocusing them,” said Kristin Gibson, director of strategic distribution partnerships for Russell Investments.

A quarterly survey of U.S. financial advisers, the FPO includes the opinions of nearly 450 financial advisers working in more than 200 national, regional and independent advisory firms nationwide. More information about the FPO, including a video and a full report of findings, can be found here.