Investors and the public

Ask yourself...

• Did you ever feel as though your financial advisor didn't understand you or your financial needs?
• Did you ever wonder if your advisor was the best fit for you and your family?
• Have you ever been passed off from one advisor to another?
• Have you ever had a poor experience with a financial advisor?

"Only 38 percent of advisors have a clear recovery strategy and communicate it with confidence. This means that nearly two-thirds of advisors are incapable of guiding their clients through this crisis."

-March 19, 2009 Registered Rep. Matt Oeschli

The vast majority of financial advisors (90%) say they feel that at least 20% of their clients don't have enough money set aside to retire at their expected income levels- says a survey of 1,305 independent financial advisors conducted by Curian Capital LLC, a Denver-based registered investment advisor

Ask yourself...

• Are your needs being met?
• Do you know your advisor's customer service model? Do they have one?
• Does your advisor know your financial plan?
• Do you have a financial plan? When's the last time your plan was updated?
• Do you believe a standard exists today?

"Spectrem Group's study shows that almost half of all millionaire households lost more than 30% of their net worth, while a full 17% say they lost at least 40% of their money."

"Four in ten Mass Affluent investors do not have a financial plan."

-Spectrem Group

Ask yourself...

• Why are the majority of investors willing to leave their current advisor?
• Should the review process serve investor's needs or a firm's needs?
• Who is reviewing the advisory practices? What are their criteria?
• Is there one available to you today? Where would you go to find it?

56.7% of investors plan on leaving their advisor

-September 2008, Prince & Associates, Inc.

Ask yourself...

• Does your advisor put your interests first?
• Do you feel as though there are quotas for Financial Advisors?
• Are you given full disclosure?
• Does your advisory practice fully understand your needs and goals?
• Do you understand where you fall within your financial advisor's practice?
• Do you feel educated enough regarding your financial situation?

"More than three-quarters of financial advisors say they have not lost clients, and in some cases have even gained clients. Almost three-quarters of financial advisors expect to maintain their customer's allocation in equities. So how can it be that more than three-quarters of affluent clients say they plan to move money but three-quarters or more of advisors say they haven't lost clients?"

-Who's Lying: Clients Or Advisors?, FA Magazine

Ask yourself...

• Do you believe your interests are aligned with your advisor?
• Does the financial services industry serve you or itself first?
• Are you being sold or educated on the solutions to achieve your financial plan?
• Do you understand how your advisor is compensated?
• Do you believe there is a hidden agenda on Wall Street?

"And in one seemingly contradictory result, the survey shows 97% of respondents say retirement income planning is the most valuable asset they provide clients, and yet 55% would outsource that planning to a third-party asset manager."

-Curian Capital LLC

Ask yourself...

• Has your advisor been ranked? If so, what were the criteria?
• Do you think assets under management and revenues generated by advisors serve investors or the industry?
• Who currently benefits from today's financial advisor ranking systems:                                                                                                             The Industry, Advisory Firms, Advisory Practices, Publications/Media or Investors?

• Would it be beneficial if you could rely on an objective process?

Ask yourself...

• Would you like to know what's behind the proverbial curtain?
• Would a client centered, objective process benefit you?
• What is important, from your perspective, in regards to a financial advisor? Facts or Opinions?
• Would you prefer an objective or subjective review of an advisory practice?
• Are unaffiliated, unbiased reviews and/or rankings of advisory practices important to you?

"Among respondents (advisors), 69% say they haven't changed their clients' portfolios in the face of market volatility."

-Curian Capital LLC

Important because....

• Results cannot be bought!
• Applicable and relevant information.
• No influences, No pictures, and No sales!
• We assess 20 categories with a strict set of standards to analyze advisory practices.

Spectrem Group research has revealed that fees are merely one of the many factors that are considered when determining overall satisfaction with one's advisor. Objective advice, expertise, breadth of product offerings, and quality of online services are a few of the traits that appear to be more important than fees.

Ask yourself....

• Who's advocating for investors?
• Do you fear you are overpaying for advice?
• How do you know you are taking the appropriate amount of risk?
• Is it important that you are kept well informed? Do you understand the information your advisor gives you?
• Are you afraid you will become just another number to your advisor?
• Are your investments in line with your goals and financial plan?
• Are you in jeopardy of not achieving your goals because of past performance?

"Many wealthy investors are displeased and unsettled about their current advisory relationships, but they are unsure what to do about it. Spectrem Group's survey shows 36% of millionaire households are unhappy with their advisor's performance, while only 14% say they plan to make more use of advisors in the future."

-Thane Stenner, founder of Stenner Investment Partners

Ask yourself...

• An independent resource to educate and empower investors.
• Helping to provide the media with reliable and relative information.
• Striving to equip investors with the knowledge to have the highest probability of financial success.
• Created to establish a dependable standard of excellence within the financial services industry.