I give 403b/401K advice away for free. I do this for clients for whom I am currently managing assets, which may range anywhere from $5000 to $500,000. Ninety percent of the time, these clients ask me to review and advise them on how to allocate their company retirement plan. Historically, I have provided this advice for free and now I don't want to. How should I change my pattern and also charge for the advice?

Article ID: 457
Last updated: 20 Nov, 2019
Say something like this, "I used to provide this advice to you for free, however, I will no longer be doing that. My fee for giving you advice about _______ is $_________, does that work for you?"

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b Can you please suggest an appropriate scripted reply, when my clients (often happens in the Values Staircase™ Conversation) ask me, "Are you a life coach or counselor?” I’m looking for a response that has a yes but we are also so much more impactful i.e. a wow factor that’s compelling, succinct and all about them.
b I see in the Progress Meeting agenda for the Goal Progress Outlook meeting that the client can be given the Quality of Life™ Enhancer exercise as homework. I am MORE under the impression that this exercise should be done in person and administered by me. Why does it refer to the Quality of Life™ enhancer exercise as homework? Am I missing something?
b Should the implementation of a clients plan be done in a single Implementation Meeting or should it be done over several meetings as to not overwhelm the client with information? Currently my dealer has developed something called the total client experience which calls for meeting with the client 5 times in total. Here is an overview of the meetings; 1-introductory meeting,2-portfolio management meeting,3-risk management,4-banking relationship review,4-tax/estate planning, and 5-progress review meetings. I like how it breaks everything down. The things that I have changed based on what I have learned here already are; replacing the initial meeting with the Financial Road Map Interview™ and getting rid of everything like useless fact finders that ask the same thing over and over and leading (probing) questions. I am just not sure what you would advise on the number of meetings to implement.
b I often use the question "Do you have someone walking you through the financial aspects of...?" during my initial conversation with potential clients when they tell me of upcoming changes in their lives. If they answer, "Yes", what is an appropriate response? For example, Betty is telling me she is going to retire this week. I say, "Wow, Betty, do you have someone walking you through the financial aspects of retirement?"
b Some of my best clients are those who have retired and are using their pension lump sums to fund their retirement income. The markets since 2007 have eroded over half of their pension asset and now their monthly incomes are in real jeopardy of running out. Six years after retiring they may have to go back to work. How can I re-set the stage with them when their goal was to have enough money not to worry and now clearly they do not?? And how do I ask them what their goals are considering that their most fundamental goals are no longer working out.
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