How do you politely decline a financial advisor?
It's best to say something about how you appreciate the offer, but now is not the right time, and you will reach out when the time comes. This allows you to buy time and puts you back in control.
- Think before you respond. If possible, don't give your answer immediately. ...
- Accentuate the positive. ...
- Give a reason when possible—not a fabrication. ...
- Be straightforward about the future. ...
- Listen to their response. ...
- Stand your ground. ...
- “No” language examples.
I want to thank you and express my appreciation for all your help over the past few years with my personal finances. At this time, I've decided to move my accounts to another advisor that I feel is a better fit for me as of (end-date).
- Put things in perspective. Before taking action, remind yourself that this is merely a business decision. ...
- Notify them (on your terms) ...
- Review the paperwork. ...
- Reassess your financial situation. ...
- Look forward to having a better plan that meets your needs.
You can either call or email your advisor - but letting them know you're leaving and why is a nice thing to do. Your new advisor will actually do all the work of transitioning the accounts for you. A simple email like this would work great...
- I wish I could make it work. ...
- Apologies. ...
- Sorry, I can't make this work now. ...
- I wish I could help you with that.
- Unfortunately, I can't help you with that now. ...
- I'd rather not get involved in another project at the moment.
- Unfortunately, it's not a good time.
- Sadly, I have something else going on.
- I have another commitment.
- I wish I were able to.
- I'm afraid I can't.
- I don't have the bandwidth for that right now.
- I'm honored you asked me, but I simply can't.
- Thanks for thinking of me. ...
- I'm sorry, I'm not able to fit this in.
Too Much Jargon And Not Enough Information
Financial advisors that throw jargon your way but can't explain in laymen's terms what's going on should throw up a red flag with you. Either the financial advisor doesn't want to or can't give you the necessary information on your investments.
Poor performance, high fees, strained communication and stagnant advice are among the reasons to look for a new advisor. Kevin Voigt is a former staff writer for NerdWallet covering investing.
Sometimes, clients might simply feel they are not compatible with their advisor's communication style, investment philosophy, or other personal aspects. This can lead to a breakdown in the client-advisor relationship and lead them to seek out an advisor with whom they feel more comfortable.
What to say when changing financial advisor?
You typically don't need to talk to an advisor after you decide to leave. Your advisor may try to “save your business” and talk you out of your decision. The more pushy somebody is, the less beneficial these discussions tend to be. Simply say, “I've made my decision, and I wish you the best,” and end the conversation.
It might come as a surprise, but your financial professional—whether they're a banker, planner or advisor—wants to know more about you than how much money you can invest. They can best help you achieve your goals when they know more about your job, your family and your passions.
As it turns out, people switch advisors all the time, so you're in good company. 60% of high net worth and ultra-high net worth investors have switched advisors at least once. When you're dealing with assets from $5 million to $500 million like the clients served by Pillar, you need an advisor you can rely on.
Switching financial advisors doesn't have to be hard. Just break it down into three manageable steps: find a new advisor, figure out what expenses the move will incur and then call or email the old advisor to notify them of the change. Your new advisor, once chosen, can help get everything transferred over.
Financial advisors can steal your money, either through direct or indirect activities. We recommend contacting a professional for immediate help and guidance in this situation. In many cases, investment fraud lawyers recommend reviewing your customer agreement with the financial advisor.
- "I offer a guaranteed rate of return."
- "Performance is the only thing that matters."
- "This investment product is risk-free. ...
- "Don't worry about how you're invested. ...
- "I know my pay structure is confusing; just trust me that it's fair."
- "Unfortunately, I have too much to do today. ...
- "I'm flattered by your offer, but no thank you."
- "That sounds fun, but I have a lot going on at home."
- "I'm not comfortable doing that task. ...
- "Now isn't a good time for me. ...
- " Sorry, I have already committed to something else.
“I'm not comfortable with that, but I appreciate the offer.” (Honest and polite.) “I can't commit to that right now, but I'll think about it.” (Non-committal but not entirely closed off.) “I'm committed to another project with a tight deadline. Perhaps next time?” (Specific and leaves future opportunities open.)
- "I understand the need to meet with a new client on short notice. ...
- "I understand the importance of beginning this project right away. ...
- "Thank you for the email. ...
- "Thanks for contacting me, and congratulations on applying for a new position.
- “I'm hanging in there.” ...
- “I've had a pretty difficult week.” ...
- “I've been struggling with something recently and was wondering if you might have time to give me some feedback about it.” ...
- “I'm feeling stressed/anxious/upset about…”
How do you say no with kindness?
The soft “no” (or the “no but”)
But I would love to get together once the book is finished. Let me know if we can get together towards the end of the summer.” E-mail is also a good way to start practicing saying “no but” because it gives you the chance to draft and redraft your “no” to make it as graceful as possible.
- Know the price. Make sure you're positive that you want to back out before you tell any stakeholders. ...
- Shift your perspective. ...
- Be truthful yet diplomatic. ...
- Protect the relationship. ...
- Propose an alternative. ...
- Learn from your experience.
Red Flag #1: They're not a fiduciary.
You be surprised to learn that not all financial advisors act in their clients' best interest. In fact, only financial advisors that hold themselves to a fiduciary standard of care must legally put your interests ahead of theirs.
The 80/20 rule retirement emphasizes the importance of focusing on actions that yield the most significant results. When planning for retirement, concentrate on the 20% of your efforts that will have the greatest impact on your financial future.
Generally, having between $50,000 and $500,000 of liquid assets to invest can be a good point to start looking at hiring a financial advisor. Some advisors have minimum asset thresholds. This could be a relatively low figure, like $25,000, but it could $500,000, $1 million or even more.