Financial advisr & Consultant Surveys - A Review

Transcription

1 INVESTOR PREFERENCES IN SELECTING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR December 1,

2 Table f Cntents Page Objectives & Methdlgy. 3 Executive Summary 4 Detailed Findings... 6 Questinnaire. 14 2

3 Objectives & Methdlgy This reprt presents the findings f a survey fielded n Nvember 20-23, 2014 amng a sample f 850 U.S. investrs. Fr this survey: Investrs were defined as adults (18 years f age and lder) with investable assets f $100,000 r mre. The definitin f investable assets specifically excludes the value f the respndent s primary residence. Respndents were screened t ensure they make r are significantly invlved in making the husehld s financial decisins. The survey was intended t quantify investr preferences and expectatins fr training and certificatin f financial advisrs. Respndents fr this survey were selected frm amng thse wh have vlunteered t participate in nline surveys and plls. Because the sample is based n thse wh initially self-selected fr participatin, n estimates f sampling errr can be calculated. All sample surveys and plls may be subject t multiple surces f errr, including but nt limited t sampling errr, cverage errr, errr assciated with nnrespnse, and errr assciated with questin wrding and respnse ptins. 3

4 4 Executive Summary

5 Executive Summary Overall, investrs respnding t the survey prefer breadth f knwledge and certificatin backed by examinatin when selecting a financial advisr. Generally, wmen, lder/retired investrs and thse with assets at r abve $500,000 place a slightly greater emphasis n breadth f knwledge. Breadth f Knwledge and Training Fur ut f five (81%) prefer an advisr wh takes all areas f their financial life int accunt as ppsed t smene wh nly specializes in ne r tw areas. A plurality (48%) chse knwledge f multiple areas ver an advisr s investment track recrd r persnal referrals as the mst imprtant element in selecting an advisr. Tw thirds f respndents (66%) say they are prepared t abandn r nt engage an advisr whse knwledge and training is limited largely t his r her cmpany s prducts r services. Training, Certificatins and Exams Nearly 90% f respndents see a ptential advisr s certificatins as imprtant, with three-fifths saying they are very imprtant. Educatin alne is nt enugh. Eighty-six percent f investrs respnding t the survey prefer an advisr wh has passed a certificatin exam in additin t a rigrus educatin prgram. One year is the minimum acceptable training fr a financial advisr, with 72% saying that they expect a financial advisr t receive frm 1 t 4 years f training in financial planning. One quarter wuld expect 5 r mre years f training, while nly 3% wuld find training f less than a year acceptable. Mst (82%) say it is imprtant fr a ptential advisr t discuss his r her training and certificatins. Thirty-nine percent say that it is very imprtant an advisr d s befre he r she is engaged. 5

6 6 Detailed Findings

7 Breadth f Knwledge and Apprach Mst investrs prefer an advisr wh lks at and integrates all areas f their financial life ver smene wh specializes in ne r tw areas Entire financial situatin 81% Specializes in ne r tw areas 19% 7 QC1: When yu lk fr a financial advisr, d yu prefer t wrk with smene wh takes int accunt and integrates multiple areas f yur financial life r ne wh specializes in ne r tw areas f yur finances? (Base: Ttal=850)

8 Imprtance f Factrs in Selecting an Advisr Percent saying mst imprtant: TOTAL 48% 31% 18% 3% WOMEN 52% 28% 16% 4% MEN 45% 33% 19% 2% RETIRED 53% 27% 17% 3% EMPLOYED 45% 33% 19% 3% Knwledge f Multiple Areas Track Recrd f Investments Persnal Referral Other 8 QC2: Which ne f the fllwing is MOST IMPORTANT when selecting a financial advisr? (Bases: Ttal=850; Wmen=362; Men=488; Retired=329; Emplyed=469)

9 Imprtance f Certificatins Mst investrs see an advisr s certificatins as imprtant Mst likely t say certificatins are very imprtant: Wmen (65%) 60 and lder (64%) Smewhat Imprtant 28% Very Imprtant 61% Neutral 10% Unimprtant 2% 9 QC4: Hw imprtant is it t yu that a financial advisr has certificatins? (Base: Ttal=850)

10 Cmprehensive Training Mst wuld be cncerned abut an advisr whse nly training is in the prducts/services f his r her cmpany Cmprehensive training mst valued by: Retirees (72%) Investrs with $500K r mre in assets (71%) Smewhat cncerned, but might still wrk with the advisr 28% Very cncerned, t the pint f seeking anther advisr 66% Nt cncerned 5% 10 QC3: Hw cncerned wuld yu be if yur financial advisr had nt been given any frmal training in cmprehensive persnal financial planning, but just in the prducts and services f his r her cmpany? (Base: Ttal=850)

11 Certificatin Exams Nearly all investrs prefer an advisr wh has passed a cmprehensive exam plus a rigrus educatin prgram as ppsed t nly having gne thrugh an educatin prgram Percent Prefer: Certificatin exam and educatin prgram 86% Only educatin prgram 7% Nt imprtant 7% 11 QC5: D yu prefer t wrk with an advisr wh has a certificatin that requires passing a cmprehensive certificatin exam AND a rigrus educatin prgram r ONLY having a rigrus educatin prgram? (Base: Ttal=850)

12 One Year is the Minimum Training Acceptable t Investrs Years training a new financial advisr is expected t have LESS THAN 1 YEAR 3% 1-2 YEARS 38% 72% 3-4 YEARS 34% 5-6 YEARS 12% MORE THAN 6 YEARS 13% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 12 QC6: Hw many years f training in financial planning (insurance, investments, taxes, estate planning) wuld yu expect a new financial advisr t receive? (Base: Ttal=850)

13 Discussing Training and Certificatins Eight ut f ten investrs want t discuss an advisr s training and certificatins befre engaging him r her Smewhat Imprtant 43% Neutral 15% Very Imprtant 39% Unimprtant 3% 13 QC7: When meeting a new financial advisr, hw imprtant is it t yu t discuss his/her training and certificatins befre yu engage? (Base: Ttal=850)

14 Questinnaire INVESTOR CARAVAN SPECIALIZED DEMOGRAPHICS Dem15 Which ne f the fllwing best describes yu? [Select ne answer] 01 I am the sle financial decisin maker fr my husehld 02 I equally share the financial decisin making respnsibility fr my husehld 03 I have sme influence n the financial decisin making fr my husehld but dn t make decisins 04 I have n say in the financial decisin making fr my husehld PROGRAMMING NOTE: ASK DEMO16-18 IF DEMO15 (01-02) Dem16 Which f the fllwing investments and/r investable assets d yu and ther members f yur husehld currently wn? [Select as many as apply Randmize 01-10, keeping tgether as ne blck. Rtate within blck] 01 Real estate investment prperties that are NOT yur primary residence 02 Cash/Currencies 03 Stcks 04 Bnds 05 Mutual funds 06 Bank savings / Fixed Depsits / Mney Market Accunts / CDs 07 Emplyer-spnsred retirement accunts (401(k), 403(b), pensin, etc.) 08 IRAs, Annuities r ther retirement accunts 09 Alternatives (hedge funds, private equity, derivatives, etc.) 10 Cmmdities - precius metals (gld r silver), il, gas, minerals, grains, livestck, etc. 11 Other investments [Please specify] 01 Nne f these/d nt wn any investments 14

15 Questinnaire On anther subject... [DISPLAY IF DEMO18 (03)] The next few questins cncern elements imprtant in selecting and wrking with financial advisrs. If yu have never wrked with a financial advisr, please answer fr what yu wuld cnsider imprtant in an advisr. C1 When yu lk fr a financial advisr, d yu prefer t wrk with smene wh takes int accunt and integrates multiple areas f yur financial life r ne wh specializes in ne r tw areas f yur finances? [Select ne answer. Rtate 01-02] 01 Entire financial situatin 02 Specializes in ne r tw areas C6 Hw many years f training in financial planning (insurance, investments, taxes, estate planning) wuld yu expect a new financial advisr t receive? [Select ne answer] 01 Less than 1 year years years years 05 Mre than 6 years C2 Which ne f the fllwing is mst imprtant when selecting a financial advisr? [Select ne answer. Randmize 01-03] C3 01 The financial advisr will be knwledgeable abut multiple areas f my financial life 02 The persn was referred t me by smene I knw 03 Their track recrd f investment perfrmance 04 Other [Please specify] Hw cncerned wuld yu be if yur financial advisr had nt been given any frmal training in cmprehensive persnal financial planning, but just in the prducts and services f his r her cmpany? [Select ne answer] 01 Very cncerned, t the pint f seeking anther financial advisr 02 Smewhat cncerned, but might still wrk with the financial advisr 03 Nt cncerned at all C7 When meeting a new financial advisr, hw imprtant is it t yu t discuss his/her training and certificatins befre yu engage? [Select ne answer] 01 Very Imprtant 02 Smewhat imprtant 03 Neutral 04 Smewhat unimprtant 01 Very unimprtant C4 Hw imprtant is it t yu that a financial advisr has certificatins? [Select ne answer] 01 Very Imprtant 02 Smewhat imprtant 03 Neutral 04 Smewhat unimprtant 05 Very unimprtant C5 D yu prefer t wrk with an advisr wh has a certificatin that requires passing a cmprehensive certificatin exam and a rigrus educatin prgram r nly having a rigrus educatin prgram? [Select ne answer] 01 Certificatin exam and educatin prgram 02 Only educatin prgram 01 Nt imprtant 15