CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Advisor's Alpha®

Find out how you can build trust and increase client satisfaction, which often lead to stronger retention and a greater number of referrals.

Overview

We developed Vanguard Advisor's Alpha® as a service model aimed at helping you foster trust, cultivate long-term relationships, and build a sustainable, successful practice. When it comes to trust, our research shows its largest component is emotional.1 Trust is not built on your expert securities selection or timing the market. Rather, you cultivate it by demonstrating that you value and respect your clients and that you understand their feelings and goals.

Our research also shows that you can add value by making these three pillars integral to your practice:

  • Constructing portfolios designed and maintained to match clients' risk tolerance, optimize tax efficiency, and help your clients reach their goals.
  • Encouraging the use of thorough financial planning techniques—such as estate and retirement planning, among many others—so you can personalize client services to meet their needs.
  • Focusing on behavioral coaching—in particular, helping clients adhere to their long-term plans—because that is the greatest potential value you can add.

 

1. Donald G. Bennyhoff, Francis M. Kinniry Jr., and Michael A. DiJoseph, 2018. The evolution of Vanguard Advisor's Alpha®: From portfolios to people. Valley Forge, Pa.: The Vanguard Group.

Featured insights

Putting a value on value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor's Alpha®
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Woman with umbrella walking through a rainy street
Consider portfolio and planning cleanup in volatile markets
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Two people in an office building looking at a digital tablet by a window
Market turbulence is Advisor's Alpha weather
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Model portfolios can help you save time and scale your practice

Vanguard strategic model portfolios can simplify your practice so that you have more time to deepen client relationships and scale your practice.

Explore model portfolios

Client conversion tools

Here's a quick kit for creating motivating meeting materials. Our templates can help you attract new clients and deepen your relationships with current ones.

Client expectations builder

Show your new clients how to benefit from their advisor relationship.

View tool

Value statement builder

Create a personalized description of the services and value you'll provide.

View tool

Build Your Own Client PDFs

Our Build Your Own PDFs allow you to customize each piece to use with your clients. Download the guide below to learn how to customize these PDFs.

DOWNLOAD

  • Smart things to do (that many won’t) in a down market

    Five tactics to coach your clients to take in a market downturn.

  • Build your own guide

    Foundational instructions and examples of how to customize the build your own pieces.

  • Volatile markets: Don't rely on headlines for guidance on when to invest

    Show clients why, historically, waiting for positive news to invest has been counterproductive.

  • How rebalancing can reduce your risk

    Help clients understand the relationship between risk and potential portfolio investment gains.

  • Rebalancing: The diversification defense

    Show clients how rebalancing can help their portfolio weather volatility.

  • Understanding market downturns

    Help your clients gain a better understanding of market declines and how to best respond to them.

  • Remember: Recoveries have rewarded patience

    Share this piece with your clients to help them understand the benefits of a long-term investing strategy.

Disclosures and footnotes

The information provided is for general information and educational purposes only and is not directed to any investor or category of investors. No information contained herein should be regarded as a recommendation to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action and is not an undertaking to provide impartial investment advice, act as an impartial adviser, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity. Individual investors should consult with a financial, legal, tax, or other personal advisor about whether any investment strategy, product, or service described may be appropriate for your individual circumstances.

Opinions and statements of financial market trends that are based on current market conditions constitute our judgment and are subject to change without notice. While we believe the information provided here is reliable and accurate, it should not be assumed to be complete. The views and strategies presented may not be suitable for all investors.