Proactive Portfolio Reviews Result in 7% AUM Growth
Executive Summary
Elevate Wealth Management, a $440 million AUM firm, faced the challenge of inconsistent client communication and missed opportunities to increase assets under management. By implementing a standardized, proactive portfolio review process led by Marcus Williams, CFP, ChFC, Elevate Wealth significantly improved client engagement and trust. This resulted in a remarkable 7% AUM growth directly attributable to existing clients, translating to an additional $30.8 million under management and $154,000 in increased fees.
The Challenge
Elevate Wealth Management, like many RIAs, experienced periods where client communication regarding portfolio performance and necessary adjustments was less consistent than desired. While the firm provided annual reviews, many clients felt they lacked a clear understanding of their portfolio's performance throughout the year and the rationale behind investment decisions. This led to several critical challenges:
- Client Uncertainty: Clients expressed anxiety about market volatility and its impact on their investments, especially those approaching retirement. One client, Sarah J., nearing retirement in 3 years with $1.2 million invested, admitted to feeling "lost and confused" during a particularly turbulent quarter, which made it difficult to have confident conversations about long-term strategies. This uncertainty threatened their long-term financial plan.
- Missed Opportunities for AUM Growth: Without regular, personalized updates and proactive discussions, the firm was missing opportunities to deepen client relationships and uncover additional investment needs. Several clients held significant cash reserves in low-yielding accounts outside of Elevate Wealth’s management, estimated at around $4.2 million collectively. This represented a substantial untapped potential for AUM growth.
- Client Attrition Risk: In a highly competitive wealth management landscape, perceived lack of communication can lead to client dissatisfaction and, ultimately, attrition. Elevate Wealth had experienced a minor increase in client churn, specifically with clients whose portfolios were performing below expectations, and who felt they were not adequately informed or consulted. A lost client with a $750,000 portfolio represents a significant revenue loss for the firm.
- Inefficient Use of Advisor Time: Reactive client management, addressing concerns only when they arose, was inefficient. Advisors spent significant time fielding ad-hoc calls and emails, diverting their attention from proactive planning and business development. This reactive approach consumed approximately 15% of an advisor's weekly time, hindering their ability to focus on strategic growth initiatives.
The Approach
Marcus Williams recognized the need for a more structured and proactive approach to client communication and portfolio management. He spearheaded the implementation of a standardized portfolio review process, focusing on consistent engagement and personalized recommendations. The approach comprised the following key elements:
- Defined Review Schedule: Implemented a tiered review schedule based on client portfolio size and complexity:
- Platinum Clients (>$2M AUM): Quarterly reviews with in-person or video conference meetings.
- Gold Clients ($500K - $2M AUM): Semi-annual reviews with a combination of in-person and phone meetings.
- Silver Clients (<$500K AUM): Annual reviews with phone or virtual meetings, supplemented by regular email updates.
- Standardized Portfolio Review Template: Developed a standardized template for each review, ensuring consistency and thoroughness. This template included:
- Executive Summary: A concise overview of portfolio performance, highlighting key gains and losses.
- Performance Attribution: Detailed analysis of factors contributing to portfolio performance, including sector allocation and security selection. Specific attribution reporting showed that small cap stock allocation underperformed benchmark by 2% over one year.
- Risk Assessment: Review of the client's risk tolerance and how it aligns with the current portfolio allocation. Using riskalyze, clients were able to visually see how their portfolios align with their tolerance for risk.
- Market Outlook: A brief discussion of current market conditions and their potential impact on the portfolio.
- Personalized Recommendations: Tailored recommendations for portfolio adjustments, including rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and allocation changes based on market conditions and client needs.
- Proactive Communication: Advisors proactively reached out to clients to schedule reviews, ensuring they felt valued and informed. They framed these calls as opportunities to optimize their portfolios and achieve their financial goals.
- Client Education: Advisors made a conscious effort to explain complex investment concepts in a clear and accessible manner, using plain language and visual aids. They broke down complex market trends and explained their impact on the client's portfolio in a way that was easy to understand.
- Opportunity Identification: Reviews were used as opportunities to identify additional client needs and explore new investment opportunities, such as retirement income planning, estate planning, and college savings. During one review, a client revealed they were selling their business and were looking for advice on reinvesting the capital.
The strategic thinking was based on the premise that consistent communication, transparent performance reporting, and personalized advice would strengthen client relationships, increase trust, and ultimately lead to increased AUM.
Technical Implementation
The successful implementation of the proactive portfolio review process relied on the effective utilization of technology and robust processes.
- Black Diamond Wealth Platform: Elevate Wealth used Black Diamond Wealth Platform for comprehensive portfolio reporting and performance analysis. The platform's sophisticated reporting capabilities enabled advisors to generate detailed performance reports that clearly illustrated portfolio gains, losses, and benchmarks. Black Diamond was also used to model potential portfolio changes and tax implications.
- CRM Integration: Elevate Wealth integrated their CRM system (Salesforce) with Black Diamond to streamline scheduling, track client interactions, and manage review workflows. This integration allowed advisors to efficiently schedule review meetings, document client communication, and track the progress of each review.
- Performance Calculation Methodology: Performance calculations were based on time-weighted rate of return (TWRR) to accurately reflect portfolio performance independent of cash flows. Fee calculations were based on a tiered AUM fee schedule.
- Risk Assessment Tools: Used Riskalyze to visually demonstrate clients' risk tolerance and to align portfolio allocation accordingly. This provided clients with a clear understanding of the risk-return tradeoff and instilled confidence in the portfolio strategy.
- Secure Document Sharing: Utilized a secure document sharing portal to exchange confidential documents with clients, ensuring data security and compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Automated Reporting: Implemented automated reporting to generate regular portfolio updates for clients, providing them with ongoing insights into their investment performance.
- Tax-Loss Harvesting: The review process provided an opportunity to look at tax-loss harvesting strategies, reducing the overall tax burden clients had to pay.
Results & ROI
The implementation of the proactive portfolio review process yielded significant positive results for Elevate Wealth Management:
- AUM Growth: Generated 7% AUM growth from existing clients within 12 months. This translated to an additional $30.8 million under management, increasing the firm's total AUM from $440 million to $470.8 million.
- Increased Revenue: The $30.8 million increase in AUM generated an additional $154,000 in annual fees, based on an average fee of 0.5%.
- Improved Client Retention: Client attrition decreased by 25% as clients felt more engaged and informed about their investments.
- Increased Client Satisfaction: Client satisfaction scores, measured through surveys, increased by 15%. Clients reported feeling more confident and comfortable with their investment strategy.
- Reduced Advisor Time Spent on Reactive Support: Proactive communication and regular reviews reduced the time advisors spent on reactive client support by 10%, freeing up their time for business development and strategic planning.
- Client cash sweep reduced: Elevate successfully moved $3 million dollars previously held in outside accounts. This resulted in an increase of $15,000 in fees to Elevate.
Key Takeaways
- Prioritize Proactive Communication: Consistent and proactive communication is crucial for building client trust and loyalty. Implement a standardized review process to ensure clients receive regular updates and personalized advice.
- Leverage Technology for Efficiency: Utilize technology platforms to streamline portfolio reporting, manage client interactions, and automate review workflows. This will free up advisors' time and improve efficiency.
- Focus on Client Education: Take the time to educate clients about investment concepts and market trends. This will help them understand their portfolio and make informed decisions.
- Identify and Address Client Needs: Use portfolio reviews as opportunities to identify additional client needs and explore new investment opportunities. This will help you deepen client relationships and grow your business.
- Quantify Results: Track and measure the impact of your proactive portfolio review process. This will help you demonstrate the value of your services and justify the investment in technology and resources.
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