Helping our clients (and ourselves) through this Bear Market
Jun 17, 2022
31:13
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Hosts discuss 7 ways advisors can help clients during this difficult market, managing emotions and making rational decisions, managing client expectations and risk, managing information and using worst-case scenario exercise to alleviate anxiety, addressing clients' concerns, and updates on online course, academy, book, and toolkit.
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Quick takeaways
Creating a gap between impulsive reactions and actions can lead to more rational and thoughtful financial decisions.
Challenging catastrophic thinking and reflecting on past experiences can help manage anxiety and make informed decisions during stressful times.
Using mental accounting to visually represent investment portfolios in separate buckets can alleviate client concerns and reinforce long-term financial plans.
Deep dives
Tip 1: Put time between impulse and action
To make sound financial decisions and avoid regrets, it is crucial to create a gap between impulsive reactions and actions. During periods of stress, it is common to make hasty decisions based on emotions. Advisors should take approximately 20 minutes to decompress and consult with someone before making any major decisions. This helps ensure a more rational and thoughtful approach to managing money.
Tip 2: Avoid catastrophic thinking
During times of stress, it is natural for the mind to wander into worst-case scenarios. However, engaging in catastrophic thinking can be detrimental. Being aware of these thoughts and challenging them is key. Reflecting on past stressful situations, such as market downturns in 2000 or 2008, can provide reassurance that decisions made in times of panic often lead to regret. By reframing thoughts and evaluating previous experiences, advisors can help clients manage anxiety and make more informed decisions.
Tip 3: Be mindful of mental accounting
Mental accounting refers to treating different portions of one's investments differently. While this cognitive bias can be harmful, there is an opportunity to use mental accounting to benefit clients. For example, visually representing investment portfolios in separate buckets, such as fixed income and equities, can help alleviate client concerns during market volatility. Showing clients that their fixed income portion is relatively stable can reinforce long-term financial plans and address worries related to market fluctuations.
Tip 4: Expand your frame of reference
During periods of stress, individuals tend to have a narrow frame of reference, focusing on short-term market fluctuations. However, advisors who work with long-term investors should encourage a broader frame of reference. Zooming out to consider the historical trend of markets over the past century can offer a more accurate perspective. By understanding that short-term fluctuations are part of a larger positive trend, clients can maintain a long-term view and make decisions with more resilience and confidence.
Tip 5: Practice the worst-case scenario exercise
Engaging in the worst-case scenario exercise can help reduce anxiety during times of uncertainty. By mentally exploring the absolute worst outcomes, individuals often realize that even in extreme circumstances, they would be able to adapt and recover. This exercise provides a sense of perspective and reminds individuals that their financial stress is unlikely to be life-threatening. By confronting fears head-on and recognizing the ability to survive even in dire situations, individuals can approach challenges with a calmer mindset.
Dr. Charles and Dr. Brad discuss 7 ways advisors can help their clients through this difficult market, including steps that financial planners can take to care for themselves and make the most our of this challenging time in the market. The conversation meanders from zombies to dogs to new initiatives related to the Psychology of Financial Planning.
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