Beyond AUM Blog
Financial Advisor Resources

We’re entering the dog days of summer, where we’re more likely to receive an out-of-office than a “what’s the ETA on this.” But as autumn arrives, so too does Advisor conference season and an always busy Q4. Here’s where we

Last Friday, some of the Beyond AUM team made the trek to the Lincoln Park Zoo. We had one goal in mind: get a peak at the new baby lion. We were determined and had even called off a previous

“One needn’t look far to find reasons to worry about the markets. With the Fed raising rates by 1.25% over the last two months, interest rate fears – with attendant recession worries – are running rampant among investors. And the

As a financial advisor, you know that the services you provide are invaluable—they literally serve as a blueprint for people’s lives. But you also know how competitive the industry can be and understand how challenging it is to stand out

RIA firms of all sizes are still in the process of coming to grips with the evolving advisory environment — especially in light of the tectonic shifts imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it may be too soon to claim

The Invest in Women conference in Atlanta returned after a three-year hiatus and Beyond AUM was happy to represent. The financial advisory industry has sometimes lagged in building representation within the female demographic. That’s despite the largest wealth transfer currently

A down market can be a stressful time for advisors and their clients. For financial advisors, it is important to maintain communication with clients during this time and ensure that they are kept up-to-date on the latest market news. The

Deloitte conducted a study with more than 4,000 adult US professional sports fans back in 2015. The research explored the fans’ attitudes and behaviors both in and out of the stadium during both on and off-season to try and gain

One of the larger questions for a financial advisor is: Are you communicating in ways that connect with your female clients? In this article for Rethinking65, we discuss how advisors are not attuned to their female clients and share some

In the age of the internet, we are inundated with content. Whether we’re scrolling through LinkedIn, checking our Twitter feed, or reading our favorite blog, we are constantly consuming small pieces of information. And while there is certainly a time

Something that might surprise you. The most successful financial advisors know how to create and nurture communities – communities of clients and potential clients. When many individuals think of working with a financial advisor, they think of working one-on-one—not super

As humans, the urge to protect ourselves is built into our DNA. Just like our early ancestors carried spears and shields to keep themselves safe from predatory animals, we wear seatbelts, install home security systems, and keep mace handy when

By now, it’s widely accepted that financial advisors and RIA firms should have an active digital presence. From building brand awareness to showcasing your services to prospective clients, the internet is an invaluable tool. However, there’s another layer to the

Black History Month in February; Women’s History Month, here and now, in March. If you’ve spent any time recently on major social media platforms, you’ve almost certainly seen an abundance of companies of all shapes and sizes recognize and reflect

The world is different than it was two years ago. We recognize people by the top halves of their faces. We work from our couches. We bump elbows instead of shaking hands. And we spend more time online. Pre-pandemic, did

By now, we’re probably all sick of hearing the word unprecedented. However, once again, the word is the best way to describe how many of us are feeling about entering the third year of life in a global pandemic. The

When you think of building a brand around your financial advisory firm, what comes to mind? A logo? A color scheme? Specific imagery? We are visual creatures by nature, and as such, our minds tend to jump to what we

In normal times, we refer to the market in terms of a roller coaster, but over the past couple of years, the marketing industry has mimicked the markets, suddenly jerking off course as soon as riders get comfortable. The pandemic

Picture this. You’re running a bit late to work, forgot your lunch on the kitchen counter, stepped in gum when you were getting in the car, and now there’s a line at the local café, but you need your coffee

In our previous blog, we shared the five key benefits of Instagram for financial advisory firms and explained the importance of embracing the platform to grow your brand, business, and client base. Today, we’ll take you through various ways to

With over 500 million daily users, it’s no secret that Instagram is a valuable tool for any business. But using the platform is more than just creating a profile, throwing together some images with clever captions, and following a handful

Whether or not you’re able to run a successful advisory firm is based on a number of factors, but perhaps the most important one is your people. Leaders in the financial advisory industry often start as individual advisors themselves. Acting

As the summer of 2021 started, things were looking up. People were feeling safer, they were getting out more, and for a while, at least, we were feeling optimistic. And then came the delta variant. In her latest article for

“Tiny changes, remarkable results.” This is the tagline for James Clear’s New York Times Bestselling book, Atomic Habits. If you’ve ever dreamed about making big changes in your life, but struggled with where exactly to start, (and let’s face it,

What makes an individual want to buy a particular product? What makes a firm choose a particular service? Of course, factors such as quality and pricing matter, but the way clients can tell whether you offer high-quality services and a

Each of us has a laundry list of challenges that have been brought on by the pandemic. Add another one to your list: engaging clients virtually. Since virtual meetings and presentations have become the norm, financial advisors have been expected

Have you ever wondered how clients find financial advisors online? In her article for WealthManagement, Beyond AUM co-founder Gretchen Halpin explains how advisors can build brand awareness and trust online in order to attract potential investors, engage their target audience,

Most of us in the industry can remember the days when offering a secure client portal for uploading documents and viewing account information could be touted as a serious value-add. But today, secure client portals are considered table stakes. In

It likely comes as no surprise to learn that content marketing in the digital age is highly competitive. This is partly due to the high saturation of digital content available and partly because audiences these days have short attention spans

As a financial advisor, you focus on providing solid advice to your clients. After all, your clients are the foundation of your business. While your financial skills are critical, though, without a sound marketing strategy to effectively drive more traffic

You’ve built your business from the ground up. You’ve worked hard, put in the time, and fostered a strategic vision. And now, maybe you find yourself stuck in something of a rut. After all, it’s one thing to have lofty

Last year, as social justice movements gained momentum and marches were underway, many businesses found themselves in an uncomfortable position. They were either afraid of what to say, worried that they might utter the wrong thing, or else recognized that

It’s no secret that historically, investment advisors were seen as salespeople, with the commission-based model almost always putting the best interest of the client second. Over time, the financial services industry offered better options for financial planners and registered investment

In this guest article for Rethinking65, Beyond AUM co-founder Gretchen Halpin explains how the forgotten Generation X can play an important role when it comes to minimizing risk in your client base.

In this guest article for Advisor Perspectives, Beyond AUM co-founder Gretchen Halpin explains why data should be the top driver of your advisory firm’s digital marketing strategy.

When it comes to marketing, financial advisors generally should adopt an extremely effective and cost-saving marketing strategy to give their advisory businesses the boost they need: email marketing. In this guest article for Advisor Perspectives, Beyond AUM co-founder Gretchen Halpin

It’s no secret that financial advisors are concentrating on the growth of their practices. But, for a business to thrive in the digital era, it is crucial to keep up with the latest marketing trends, meaning that the path to

Let’s face it, we all spent a lot, A LOT of time on our screens in 2020. And as many of us continue to work from home, our electronics and our internet continue to be some of our most trustworthy

What’s the most effective path to success in any domain? David Epstein says it’s not what you think. Many financial advisors seek to understand how to use proven methods to scale their business, whether it be the type of hire,

Think of the word, “marketing” — what images come to mind? Maybe your mind gravitates toward a print advertisement, or a billboard, or a television commercial. Perhaps you’re thinking of the promotional image you just scrolled past on your Instagram

According to Google Statistics, there are about four billion unique users who use the Google search engine. Of course, you probably already knew that — we all use Google to find answers to just about any question we can think

Correctly implementing a strategic marketing funnel can be the difference between wasting time and money on leads with low or nonexistent follow-through, versus nurturing legitimate leads through the buying process and turning them into steadfast clients. In this Advisor Perspectives

Financial advisors learned a lot of lessons in 2020. The unexpected, sweeping impact of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many advisory firms to work remotely, in order to comply with statewide lockdown requirements. These guidelines challenged advisors to maintain a solid

Think of your website as the hub through which all of your financial advisory firm’s digital marketing activity is connected. Your digital marketing tactics should always be driving traffic to your website, which should engage your clients and pull your

“I don’t have time.” “My clients take first priority.” “I don’t even know how to get started.” These are all valid reasons why you may be hesitant to create and execute a content strategy for your financial advisory firm. After

Marketing can be a tough nut to crack. You know it’s essential to growing your financial advisory business and reaching new, potential clients. But the return on investment (ROI) for marketing activities can be difficult to quantify.  Historically, “marketing” for

Are you ready for 2020 to end? Wait…don’t answer that. We can already guess your response to that question. As we put 2020 in the rearview and look ahead to what will (hopefully) be a brighter year, now is a

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured in Advisor Perspectives about utilizing customer relationship management (CRM) and how it helps financial advisors capitalize on informational data to manage clients. Read the full article by clicking here.

If you weren’t marketing to prospects digitally before the COVID-19 pandemic, then now is the time to get started. As the number of COVID-19 cases ramps up again, and as more states lockdown ahead of a projected holiday spike, your

If you’re a financial advisor, you already know that women and millennials are two markets that are increasing in both financial power and independence. Yet, for myriad reasons, many advisors have not tapped into or placed enough focus on these

Our Co-Founder Nima Tolooi was featured on Real Expert Advice about his favorite project management tool, Wrike, and how we use it. Learn more about Wrike and why Beyond AUM uses it, by reading the full article here.

“Curveball” — there is not a more perfect word to describe the past 11 months. Businesses and employees across industries have been challenged to leave their comfort zones and adapt to a new way of working. Financial advisors were not

Authenticity. It is a word that we see often and, likely, appreciate. Who doesn’t want to be authentic in a world of smoke-and-mirrors? Even though it may be the predominant buzzword used by a marketing professional or seasoned financial advisor,

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured on Databird Business Journal about how she built her way to the top of the financial services industry by overcoming fear. Gretchen Halpin discussed inspirations, goals, and how to overcome obstacles. Read the full

Let’s face it: we live in an over-communicated age. If earlier decades were an information desert, our current culture is an information rain-forest by comparison. You, your clients, and your prospects are inundated daily by the latest headlines and opinions

Your financial advisory firm is growing; you’ve got a solid client base, and you’ve built an in-house team with a shared vision and the dedication to back it up. You’re ready to take your firm’s marketing efforts to the next

Let’s start with the obvious: the financial advisory business is a personal business. Our success depends on building relationships with our clients — relationships built on trust. And then, as financial planners and wealth managers, we must perform and communicate

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured in Advisor Perspectives about differentiating yourselves in the marketplace and how finding client lifetime value (CLV) can help financial advisors maximize their resources. Read the full article by clicking here.

Even people who sell for a living don’t like to feel like they’re getting “sold,” right? Maybe that’s why so many of us find it difficult to ask for a referral. After all, we’ve just finalized the agreement, the contract

Not so many years ago, if a financial advisory firm was able to offer a secure client portal for uploading documents and viewing account information on the website, the feature could be touted as a serious value-add. But now, secure

Everybody loves a good story. And they love it even more when it helps them understand something they really need to know. As financial advisors, we sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day “busyness” of our work and our

What does success look like for you in 2021? That’s the question you want to answer for yourself when you embark on year-end planning. It always starts in November. Advisors frantically work to finish the year strong, while planning for

Crisis situations are realities that every business or organization must be prepared to deal with — whether it’s a market downturn like the one we saw this past spring, or a major global event such as the coronavirus pandemic. Often,

This is a term that needs no definition or explanation. Whether we refer to them as the popular acronym “COIs,” as referral sources, or as professional partners, it’s safe to say that “centers of influence” are an invaluable element of

Without quality content, you can’t have an effective digital marketing strategy. The right keywords, quality backlinks, and high SERP rankings can all drive traffic to your site. But the only way you will keep visitors on your site and convert

Picture it: You’re sitting in the audience of the conference you attend every year, notepad balanced on your lap, PowerPoint slides displayed on a large monitor in front of you. The speaker line-up is filled with industry experts, thought leaders

2020 has been a year of immense change and revolution when it comes to social justice and activism. For our last tip in our “30 Tips for Today’s Financial Advisor” series, we recommend having the difficult but necessary conversations with

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us to think more creatively about how we do business. According to a report from Practical Perspectives surveying 525-plus advisors in early April, the dominant means of advisor-to-client communication used by advisors has

No one likes hearing and accepting difficult feedback — especially if it’s not true, not timed well or delivered poorly, or given by someone who doesn’t have the right to be offering it. But as Fast Company says, “we can’t

Right now during this COVID-19 crisis, we’re all having to learn to live in the present. As things change daily, we can only focus on today. It can feel nerve-wrecking not being able to plan everything years, months, or even

Do you know what everyone in your company does on a daily basis? When you familiarize yourself with every part of the business, you can identify what issues some departments are having and how you or another team could help.

It may seem impossible setting goals in the midst of a pandemic (and the internet has been filled with memes about how difficult it has been making concrete plans in 2020), but there are things still in your control. Career

In 1999, Amy Edmondson, professor at Harvard Business School, identified the concept of psychological safety in work teams, “a climate in which people are comfortable being (and expressing) themselves.” Since then, research has found that psychological safety can make teams

Throughout the Coronavirus crisis, we’ve seen some powerful acts of kindness, from small gestures like dropping off toilet paper at a friends’ door to companies and individuals donating millions of dollars for COVID-19 relief. How can financial advisors give back

Your morning routine can set the tone for the rest of the day. You don’t have to immediately become a productivity machine when you wake up. So how can you design an effective morning routine tailored to you? Inc. provides

The COVID-19 pandemic and multiple months of lockdown have left many of us feeling… well, stuck. Creatively drained. Tired and overwhelmed. But moments like these actually present opportunities for great renewal — whether it’s dusting off your goals document from

Though it’s hard for many of us to admit, it’s easy to get caught up in the negative when it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But instead of commiserating over a problem and harping

2020 has been a tough year, and we’re all feeling some level of anxiety, or stress, or fear. Remember that your advisory team members, clients, prospects, and COIs are dealing with these feelings, too. Now more than ever, it’s important

How can you reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in years without it coming off as awkward, desperate, or demanding? Rebecca Zucker in Harvard Business Review provides some great tips: Shift your perspective. Zucker says, “I have often

Clients don’t pick a financial advisor just for their professional knowledge. “More often than not, personal likability and trustworthiness rate much higher than professional knowledge alone,” WealthManagement.com says. So how can you build “business social” client relationships? Gather as many

It can be hard finding the motivation to network and cultivate relationships during this COVID-19 lockdown. But it’s important to keep building bridges with centers of influence (COIs) — accountants, lawyers, insurance brokers, real estate agents, and other professionals —

Many times, we let fear prevent us from trying new things. It’s easier to stay in a boring routine than entering the unknown. But when we try new things, we make progress toward getting over our fears and expand our

When’s the last time you did something for yourself? As Cara Maksimow, a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maximize Wellness Counseling, says on Headspace, many people connect the term “self-care” with being selfish. But being selfish implies that

While rules at a company may have been created with the best intentions, over time, they can become outdated, restrictive, and futile. A recent Inc. article provided some examples of “dumb” rules that seem to suggest a lack of trust

Vulnerability can feel uncomfortable, risky, and scary. But if you want to innovate, you need to be vulnerable, according to researcher Brené Brown. This fear of vulnerability can show up in many ways in your organization — it could be the underfunding of new ideas in the name of

At Beyond AUM, our team frequently shares recommendations for books on business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and creativity. Right now, we’re reading The Outward Mindset by the Arbinger Institute, which is about the role of mindset when seeking significant and lasting organizational change. Today, we draw inspiration from this book for our “30 Tips for

How can we motivate and inspire each other when the world feels so heavy? Sometimes, it can be the small things that help. Whether it’s an inspiring blog post, video, illustration, quote, song, or photo, these small moments of joy

Wealth management is among the least diverse industries in America. According to the Government Accountability Office, less than 20% of financial advisors are people of color. This is despite the fact that companies with the most diverse executive teams are

Keith Johnstone, British and Canadian pioneer of improvisational theatre, says in his book Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, “There are people who prefer to say ‘yes’ and there are people who prefer to say ‘no.’ Those who say ‘yes’ are rewarded

Financial planners understand the importance of developing a strong, well-thought-out plan, given that they do it every day for their clients. But financial planners also understand that they need to build in room for flexibility. Clients might face challenging and

“Failure is devastating, and it can also fuel people.” —Dashun Wang, associate professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management No one likes to fail, but there can be an upside to setbacks. In a study, Kellogg

Today’s tip is inspired by a quote from Stephen R. Covey, bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.”   Today’s Tip: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity

We’re back with our “30 Tips for Today’s Financial Advisor” series. Today’s tip is about the importance of dedicating time and energy toward professional development. Right now, as it seems to take a Herculean effort to think about anything not

Today’s tip is about centers of influence (COIs) — in other words, “someone who can have a positive impact on your business by providing introductions to new potential clients, networking opportunities, and word of mouth,” as WealthManagement.com describes.   Today’s

We’re back with tip #3 in our “30 Tips for Today’s Financial Advisor” series, in which we’re taking the vast world of marketing, growth, and strategy, and winnowing it down to one manageable tip a day. Today’s tip is about

Welcome back to our “30 Tips for Today’s Financial Advisor” series. In these blog posts, we will be providing one small — but meaningful — thing you can do each day for your clients during this difficult time. With these

When we’re dealing with stress, some of us end up doing way too much or way too little. Dr. Brené Brown describes these patterns of behavior — “over-functioning” and “under-functioning” — in her new popular podcast “Unlocking Us.” Right now,

Let’s face it. As fiduciary financial advisors, the last thing we want to associate ourselves with is sales. But the truth of the matter is that “sales” is a big part of your business. Unlike broker-dealers, you’re not selling an

According to a survey by Everest College, the majority of Americans are stressed at work — 83% to be exact. And it makes sense; with the ability to constantly connect to the office through the internet, our work lives are

Every day, our news feeds are jam-packed with the latest headlines about the devastating Coronavirus pandemic and the significant market volatility that has followed. Many of us can’t help but feel worried about our family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured in Databird Business Journal about marketing strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gretchen Halpin touches on how to discover what your clients need. Read the full article for more tips by clicking here.

According to an Investment News survey, the typical advisory firm spends no more than about 2% of its revenues on marketing. And it makes sense: Many financial advisors are skeptical that marketing even “works,” and they don’t have much free

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured on MyCorporation’s blog post where top women entrepreneurs introduce who their biggest role model is. Gretchen explained how Wonder Woman taught her lessons that she still applies to her business today. To learn more

Admit it. You’ve asked yourself this question at least once. The business world loves its buzzwords, doesn’t it? While most corporate jargon (we’re looking at you, “synergy”) can be flipped past in the dictionary for language that’s a bit more

Our Co-Founder Gretchen Halpin was featured in Advisor Perspectives about how financial advisors can provide female investors with comprehensive financial planning. By empowering this market, Gretchen Halpin discusses how building a more inclusive culture can help to grow your business.

It’s a love-hate relationship — the candy heart that says, “It’s complicated.” It’s equal parts exhilarating and exhausting. You know the feeling. In fact, you probably know it well. We’re talking about goal-setting — the annual activity that so many of