When a firm goes through any major strategic shift, it is always a concern that the team will not want to comply. So how do you get your team on board through important changes? Today Micah and Matt will share advice on how to address your team's fears and questions, while also sticking to your convictions. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Zu3gX8
Today Micah and Matt are breaking down fees and how much you should be charging your clients. While there is no perfect way to set a fee and no ideal structure for every firm, the guys will teach you how to be confident in the value you are providing for your clients. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2TPkBbO
There's a lot of advice out there about how to network effectively, and the truth is that while some of it is solid stuff, plenty of it is just plain bad. So in this episode, Matt and Micah will help you sift through the tips that are totally off-base and find where networking can be a powerful marketing tool. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OVMY9k
Matt and Micah are frequently asked about how they have set up their practices, what it takes to manage a successful business, and how to make sure you still have time to do the things you love. They will be answering those questions and plenty more in today's mailbag episode. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2YGbnzo
Clients come in and express all kinds of ideas, such as buying gold, purchasing property, getting in on a timeshare, and more. But what do you do when something seems like a bad idea? In this episode, Matt and Micah break down how to use caution and strategy to help lead clients to a good decision that fits with their goals—without shooting down their ideas right away. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Ysv1Tt...
Although many people complain about compliance and see it as a burden, this episode is all about changing your attitude so you start to see it as an opportunity. Compliance and audits exist to get the bad guys out of the market, so as long as you’re not one of those bad guys, Matt and Micah have some great tips and insight into how you can prepare, communicate, and stay ahead of the game. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2xZ01eZ...
Today Matt and Micah discuss the importance of tracking your numbers. While doing his mid-year review, Matt found that he had come in lower in hours than he expected, which got the guys thinking about the value of owning where you have slacked off or messed up in order to improve and get back on track with your goals. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XBWB1e
How do you know if it's time to hire a new employee? And how can you be sure that employee will fit in and become a valuable part of your team instead of just being an unnecessary extra expense? Today Matt and Micah discuss staffing and how to hire the right person for your business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Ja7sqf
It can be really hard to know where to begin when you’re building your practice from the ground up, so today's episode covers the basics on how to start your practice from scratch. Matt and Micah dive into the key pieces that will make a big difference in how well you do from the beginning so you get up on your feet faster. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/31V8QnI
This episode is dedicated to opening up that mailbag and answering your questions. Many listeners asked about how Matt and Micah set up calls, meetings, and planning, so they will lay out how they handle these things from their different strategies to the policies they have in place. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2XdBH7p
If you think Matt and Micah's journeys to building successful practices were easy, think again. They made just about every mistake along the way, and today they discuss where they went wrong and what they learned in order to give you the insight and guidelines you need to avoid making these same mistakes in your own practice. Listen in to hear some of their biggest marketing flops and what they could've—and probably should've—done differently. You'll also get to hear some of the successful marke...
Regardless of the company, staffing issues happen, and it’s up to us as leaders to investigate these problems with a curious mindset. In this episode, Matt and Micah discuss the importance of looking into where the system failed, instead of blaming your staff when a problem comes up. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Qi46TK
When it comes to generating positive revenue, it's easy for advisors to end up focusing on the wrong things. In this episode, Matt and Micah dive into profitability metrics and discuss the key tips and tricks they use to stay on track. If you’re interested in improving in this area, then this conversation is for you. Listen in to get a new perspective on how pride and chest-pounding factor into this and what advisors should really be focusing on. You'll learn where integrity comes into play, whe...
Adding valuable services to your practice that benefit your clients is simple, but in order for things to run smoothly, it’s important to understand the whole story. Today Matt and Micah will go over some of the most valuable takeaways from their conversation in Episode 28 with Ed Slott. Ed's detailed and practical training has been a huge game changer for financial planners, and this episode breaks down some of the most important things he shared. Listen in to get examples of what it looks like...
What does it take to provide true value to your clients? Today we have financial expert and advisor Ed Slott on the show to answer that question and more. Named “The Best” source for IRA advice by The Wall Street Journal , Ed works with advisors across the country and provides training in IRAs and retirement distribution planning. In this episode, Ed breaks down the key areas advisors should focus on in order to ensure they are offering high-value services to their clients. Listen in to learn co...
There’s something that plenty of advisors are guilty of doing without even realizing it: lying to themselves. It’s easy to inflate the numbers in your practice, or even guess at them without truly knowing the metrics. And while it may seem harmless to toss around estimations, the truth is that it’s actually quite the opposite. In this episode, Matt and Micah dive into the subject of integrity and how to make sure you’re living and owning your truth. Listen in to learn how this subject relates to...
When it comes to client meetings, we’ve talked a lot about why grouping appointments is beneficial to you, your team, and the people you serve. But what happens when someone wants to see you outside of the appointment surge? Do you let them come in during a time you haven't blocked off for meetings, or is it better to stick to your pre-established schedule? In this episode, Matt and Micah discuss what it takes to reach that important balance between working with clients to achieve their goals an...
Too often, people hang onto the idea that anyone who is successful must be lucky. Worse yet, those same people decide that a similar type of success is impossible for them because they believe that they don’t have that kind of luck. So today, Matt and Micah are setting the record straight about what really leads to success. Listen in to hear how attributing others' success to luck not only discredits their knowledge and hard work, but also discourages us from taking ownership of our own ability ...
Key Links [Link Needed for QCD/Tax preparation document Report that Matthew generates for clients. He references that if someone emails Colleen, we can get a sample of it for the show notes around the 12:34 mark of the episode] Gear Up Program to learn about taxes: https://checkpointlearning.thomsonreuters.com/GearUp Bob Keeblers site for education resources: http://www.keeblerandassociates.com/about Ed Slott’s website for resources: https://www.irahelp.com/ Michael Kitces’ site: https://www.kit...
Key Links Micah’s appearance on Michael Kitces’ podcast: Adapting the 4-hour work week ---- Matthew and Micah are of the opinion that an expertise in tax planning (not preparation as is accentuated in the episode) is an essential base of knowledge to cultivate for all financial advisers. As they both elaborate, it would be a case of gross negligence to neglect discussions of taxes with clients. In fact, Micah says that taxes are the biggest expense for any client. So you should invest considerab...
Key Links Micah’s appearance on Michael Kitces’ podcast: Adapting the 4-hour work week Joe Lukacs’ website: http://practicepower.net/ ---- Some common questions that Matthew and Micah encounter are: “should I charge a commission? What about a planning fee? How much of a percentage should I take for that?” And so forth. If you can think of any variation of question regarding fees, Matt and Micah have been asked it. And so in turn, to set your mind at ease, they spend the entirety of this episode ...
Every advisor doesn’t necessarily need to establish a clear-cut account minimum for their clients. In fact, Micah Shilanski doesn’t have one in his practice. He has a system of fees in place which function in a very similar way. But for those who do establish account minimums, like Matthew Jarvis, this all-important number will guarantee, at the very least, the growth of your practice. To ensure that you practice what Matt and Micah consider to be one of the most important facets of the industry...
Key Links Book that Micah references: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Time blocking series by Matt and Micah: https://theperfectria.com/time-blocking/ 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss ---- Matt and Micah are here to talk about the importance of what they define as ‘return on time’. It’s a concept set in place to ensure that time is spent growing revenue. Because revenue and growth are both extremely important for the longevity of your firm, your time should be spent accordingly. To calculate you...
Key Links Book referenced in this episode: Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy ---- Matt and Micah are tired of well-worn assumptions about advising. In particular, about how lifestyle advisors are lazy by nature. On the other end of the spectrum, many think the job should entail 60+ hour work weeks. Both are wrong. It’s not about the time spent, but how effective the time was used. Matt and Micah have four words of advice to give to advisors: quit pretending to work. The hosts lay the issue to rest t...
Key Links Books referenced in the episode: Extreme Ownership || The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman ---- According to both Matt and Micah, to truly know your clients, you have to put these key principles to use in your practice: [#1 Learn The Communication Styles of Your Clients and Team] According to Micah, there are about 15 different communication styles out there, but he personally likes to use 4 styles that he and his team attr...
The Perfect RIA hosts have a few action items for delicately dealing with clients during rough financial climates and circumstances. [#1 Let Clients Frame the Conversation] Let the client direct the subject of conversation during meetings. This way, you let the client bring information to you: concerns, figures, facts, charts, you name it. The point being that you can let clients take the wheel and frame the conversation. Don’t jump to conclusions! This goes with the aforementioned information; ...
Although Matt and Micah realize that vacation is a time for much needed R&R, they couldn’t help but notice the strong business practices of Disney during their time at Disney World. This episode is the product of their seizing an opportunity to appreciate some intelligent business principles at work. This episode is thus solidified around 5 central tenets from the Disney World business model that were gleaned during their vacation. ---- According to both Matt and Micah, the five biggest busi...
The content of this episode is anchored in 3 necessary traits for effective financial advising. In addition, Michael provides action items for better financial practices. ----- Key Links Ken Gau and Tom Unger’s Program: The Academy of Preferred Financial Advisors ----- According to both Matthew Jarvis and our guest, very accomplished wholesaler Michael Appleby, the most successful advisors have these 3 traits: [Focus] Successful advisors have the concentration to take their practice to the next ...
Let’s face it; sometimes partnerships sour. In all vocations, all industries, differences arise between individuals. And for something as valuable as the dynamic between advisor and client, sometimes firing clients is an absolutely necessary action. If an RIA is using time on a client that is less than ideal, that dynamic should be reconciled. Anything but the garnering of massive success for both client and advisor is a recipe for a stagnant practice. So, by necessity, Matt and Micah gather the...
Key Links Episode 5: Always Take the High Road -------------------- Financial Planning Software is scrutinized in this episode. But right away, Matt and Micah are sure to remind listeners that they aren’t completely condemning the technology, just encouraging less of a reliance on the tool. It is certainly true that a lot of planners are required to use some sort of financial software for compliance requirements or for the more detailed reports that clients may ask for. Yet, Matt and Micah still...
