Advisors have difficulty retiring and often prolong the process, impacting client transitions. The psychological aspects of retirement and the challenges advisors face in transitioning clients are explored. The importance of intentional handoff and finding meaningful roles after retirement is emphasized. Guidance is provided for acquiring a practice and managing the transition process.
Retirement can be challenging for financial advisors due to the difficult decision-making and client transition process they face.
The psychological aspect of retirement is often underestimated for financial advisors, leading to resistance and delayed retirements.
Deep dives
The Challenges of Retirement for Financial Advisors
Retirement can be incredibly difficult for financial advisors. While the industry has solved logistical issues like valuation and financing, the decision to retire and the actual process of transitioning clients prove to be significant challenges. Retirement relationships often break down, leading to underperforming dynamics and negative experiences for both retiring and acquiring advisors. The freedom and discretion that advisors enjoy in their practices become hurdles as they struggle to detach from their identity, status, and daily tasks. Advisors also face the pain of losing clients they have worked with for years. This pain can lead to delayed retirements, reneging on retirement plans, or feeling lost in a gray, undefined future.
The Psychological Aspect of Retirement for Advisors
The psychological aspect of retirement for financial advisors is often underestimated. Advisors imagine retirement as a reward after years of hard work, but lack specific plans or visions for their post-retirement life. As retirement approaches, advisors start to become aware of what they will lose, including their place, status, financial success, and sense of identity. They struggle with letting go and facing an undefined future. This psychological challenge is intensified by the hundreds of client transitions and the sense of loss that comes with each one. Advisors may resist the process, extend their retirement timelines, or even renege on retirement plans due to the emotional difficulty.
Responsibility and Planning for Retirement
Retiring advisors must accept the reality that retirement involves a beginning, a middle, and an end, and that the end will be accompanied by pain and loss. They need to fulfill their commitments to themselves, their family, their team, their clients, and their acquiring colleague by actively participating in the transition process and accepting the burden of navigating the emotional challenges. In addition, retiring advisors must invest in personal work to populate their next stage of life, creating structures and activities to transition to, rather than just retiring from something. Seeking support from coaches, life transition specialists, or counselors can be valuable in this process.
Guidance for Acquiring Advisors
Acquiring advisors play a crucial role in helping retiring advisors navigate the retirement process successfully. They need to recognize that retiring advisors will experience intense pain and resistance during the transition. To mitigate this, acquiring advisors should negotiate the purchase of the practice with a fixed firm exit date and enforceable remedies if the retiring advisor fails to fulfill their commitments. They should also implement a specific handoff process, having the retiring advisor actively introduce and transition clients to the acquiring advisor early on. By providing clarity, structure, and support, acquiring advisors can significantly improve the success of the retirement process and client transitions.
Many advisors are reluctant to think about retiring; some are deeply resistant. Observations of financial advisor decision-making and behavior have revealed an interesting pattern: as advisors get closer to retirement, their desire to retire decreases. This can have major negative consequences for teams, especially those that were created to facilitate the transition of clients from the retiring advisor to a new provider. In this podcast, Scott and Ken explore this ambivalence about retiring and discuss how two parts of the brain impact the way advisors think about exiting the business.
The information contained herein reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this production. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representation or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this publication. This video segment is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor's personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AB or its affiliates. References to specific securities are presented solely in the context of industry analysis and are not to be considered recommendations by AB. AB and its affiliates may have positions in, and may affect transactions in, the markets, industry sectors, and companies described herein.
It is important to note that not all Financial Advisors are consultants or investment managers; consulting and investment management are advisory activities, not brokerage activities, and are governed by different securities laws and also by different firm procedures and guidelines. For some clients, only brokerage functions can be performed for a client, unless the client utilizes one or more advisory products. Further, Financial Advisors must follow their firm’s internal policies and procedures with respect to certain activities (e.g., advisory, financial planning) or when dealing with certain types of clients (e.g., trusts, foundations). In addition, it is important to remember that any outside business activity including referral networks be conducted in accordance with your firm’s policies and procedures. Contact your branch manager and/or compliance department with any questions regarding your business practices, creating a value proposition or any other activities (including referral networks). It is important to remember that (i) all planning services must be completed in accordance with your firm’s internal policies and procedures; (ii) you may only use approved tools, software and forms in the performance of planning services; and (iii) only Financial Advisors who are properly licensed may engage in financial planning. For financial representative use only. Not for inspection by, distribution or quotation to, the general public.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode