Year one:
Maximum high-touch attention.

From careful discovery, to helping you track down all your account information, to building the financial plan and investment portfolio, the advisor delivers the highest level of service in this first year. On average, five-plus meetings will occur, and all of this work establishes your confidence and trust in the advisor and in yourselves. This builds an understanding of what the advisor provides, and how together you will work to achieve your goals.

Year two: Sharing control.

In the second year of our relationship, a baseline level of trust has been created, you’ve bought into the plan, and now feel ownership and control over its execution. The advisor begins to transition from a maximum level of service to a maintenance level of service.

In this phase of the relationship, the advisor is guiding and teaching you how to communicate when you need help and how the advisor continues to provide the services required. Starting at the end of year one, the advisor has gradually lowered his or her level of attention, culminating at the end of year two, when the point of true trust occurs. After that point, this less intensive level of client service becomes the new baseline. Trust in the advisor and trust in the plan has been established.

Year three: Settling into a rhythm.

Year three is the most important year; you have the confidence in the advisor and feel empowered to create the financial future you helped design. In the third year of the engagement, you want to experience a sense of consistent execution of things like an annual meeting, and quickly returned phone calls and emails; all unfolding in a predictable rhythm. This is also the year in which the advisor begins to shift his communication with the client.

Though communications remain consistent, fewer of them are personal. This might include firmwide market commentaries and educational blog posts along with information that’s of distinct interest to his particular client.

Year four and beyond: Stable and on track.

This is the stability stage of your journey; you are confidently on the way to your chosen destination. The advisor is communicating but not over-communicating. Time-sensitive requests are addressed quickly, of course. The advisor is monitoring and rebalancing the client’s investment portfolio regularly and reviewing it with the client every year. But this stage of the relationship is mostly about predictable, low-friction execution and maintenance of the plan.

That’s not to say we are on autopilot. We know the trust we’ve worked hard to establish can be lost if not responsive to your needs. High-touch service will kick in if and when you need it, facing a life change such as a move, job change, marriage, divorce, a financial windfall, market volatility, or other disruption or life event. During those periods, the advisor will educate, encourage, and provide guidance and perspective. We will work together tol restore your sense of control, and soon you will be back into a confident routine. At this point we, while fulfilling our duties, will have plenty of bandwidth for meeting your needs when you call or email.