Steve Atkinson

One of the benefits of an investment philosophy is that it can provide your clients with more consistent experiences and help them feel more confident in your advice. But if your philosophy is based on

One of the benefits of an investment philosophy is that it can provide your clients with more consistent experiences and help them feel more confident in your advice. But if your philosophy is based on forecasting which stock or market sector will be "hot" then those client experiences might not be very consistent.

Who would have expected that after four years of up markets, the S&P would return more than 32% last year? Here are some lessons learned from 2013, according to one advisor coach.

There’s a major misperception of what a buy-and-hold investment strategy is, but it's what you buy and hold that makes all the difference.

Your fee should be about more than just investment performance.

Bottom line: clients (and advisors) need to expect down periods. And, you need to be prepared to manage more emotions than money during your career as an advisor.

Physicians, lawyers and accountants all have a comprehensive, detailed set of rules or best practices that govern their actions in providing services to their clients. Unfortunately, Steve Atkinson writes, not all financial advisors have a consistent, universal code.

When it comes to passive investing, there’s a better way than indexing, according to blogger Steve Atkinson.

sometime today or tomorrow you will be meeting with a client to present or review an Investment Policy Statement. Over the course of this year, you will do the same with many clients because you know that the IPS is an essential tool. But are your firm’s goals and plans as well documented?

Understanding why you do what you do really makes a difference.

The sequel is never as good as the original. Advisors have a hard time repeating outperformance.

Asking the right questions from the start can ensure you discover the kind of clients you really want for your business.

Maximizing consistency, minimizing expenses, articulating a clear value proposition and strong peer collaboration are essential for successful wealth advisors.

It is absolutely impossible for a client with a fundamental fear of the future to become a successful investor, or even to formulate a rational long-term financial plan.

Successful advisors chose their third-party partners wisely so that they can best use their extra time to make a greater impact on the individuals and families they serve.

Wall Street may still be in love with complex financial instruments, but more and more investors are choosing a simpler, more prudent way to invest, and Steve Atkinson explain that that is why the assets under management with independent wealth advisors continues to grow.

Advisors need to help clients focus on their long-term plans by demonstrating the risks of short-term emotional decisions.

One of the most important things any advisor can do to for his or her clients is to help them understand what underperformance really means, according to Steve Atkinson, "The Advisors' Coach."

Steve Atkinson, "The Advisors' Coach," says investing in people, entrepreneurship and improved corporate efficiencies is a far cry from gambling and it's important that advisors and their clients appreciate the difference.

Now is the time to find out if your current business model is providing the kind of client experiences that makes you either a wealth manager or an investment facilitator. (And if you don’t know, you should because your clients surely know the difference.)