Client strategies

Rick Rummage tells advisors to use their planning skills for their careers as well as their clients' financial futures.

Not every referral will turn into a worthwhile client, so savvy screening makes sense.

Advisors can benefit only if they actually interact and then follow up.

A widow unaware she could claim spousal benefits before claiming her own dramatically increases her retirement income, thanks to guidance from her advisor.

How to get them to offer unsolicited praise in a social setting.

Playing nicely with CPAs can help advisors land new clients.

Don’t be too ‘salesy,’ but rather highlight advice and expertise.

Those who truly put clients first may sometimes advocate strategies that cut their own incomes.

As a generalist, advisor Jim Marquardt avoids cultivating a niche and reaps referrals in the process.

Advisors can help clients and their survivors by helping plan out funeral services.

Advisors can help clients avoid overpaying on taxes by reversing Roth IRA conversions when portfolios fall.

Doing something an advisor loves can bring in more clients than a slew of promotional meetings.

Don’t forget the process of connecting on a holistic basis.

Advisors who differentiate themselves may land business as a byproduct of their unique approach.

FINRA's system for ensuring the integrity of advisors’ BrokerCheck records is broken but can be fixed, securities lawyers and other experts say.

Despite a ban, firms still offer clients money to not fight brokers' bids to purge their public records, lawyers say.

Some marketing may be counterproductive. Advisors need to communicate the value planners actually offer. Here's how.

Some mortgage investors are refusing to buy home loans that are at risk of violations of new consumer-disclosure rules.

Wealth management is becoming a tale of tech haves and have nots. Don’t be left behind.

Advisors doing business with their buddies may miss the point of being good wealth managers. While you may want to play another round of golf with your clients, you still have to be on top of their financial planning and honest about critical decisions concerning their wealth.