It’s tempting to paint all financial professionals as either good guys or bad guys based on whether their compensation is fee- or commission-based.
But of course that isn’t fair. Just like in the movies, you can’t always judge someone by the hat he’s wearing. You have to look at motive.
When you mix commission sales with improper intentions, that’s when you have a problem. And unfortunately, I’ve seen quite a few people who’ve had their accounts “churned,” meaning the broker made excessive trades to generate commissions for himself and not necessarily in the best interests of the client.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
A tale of trust gone bad
For example, one of our clients, a widow in her upper 70s, out of loyalty stayed with the broker her husband had for years. He used that good relationship to manipulate her into not making any changes.
When she finally came to us, we could see that he was churning her accounts and she was losing money. He also had her in investments that were at much higher risk than she had asked for or wanted.
When we showed her what was going on, she fired the broker, and we positioned her in a way that was much more in line with her needs and goals. But it wasn’t an easy situation for her.
Breaking up is hard to do. I get that. Sometimes an investor will have put years into the relationship and can’t imagine moving on. Other times, the professional they’ve worked with is a good accumulator but fails when it’s time to make that fundamental and very necessary switch to the preservation stage. And sometimes brokers don’t even know how much their moves are costing their clients in hidden fees. They’re not being devious — just sloppy.
Fee confusion
If the broker doesn’t know about the fees, you can bet the client doesn’t. Recently, we had an 88-year-old man in the office who thought he was paying 1.4% on his accounts. But when we analyzed his portfolio, we found he was paying an additional 2.2% in hidden fees — putting him well over 3%.
We also learned that he considered himself a very conservative investor, but he was in a moderate portfolio, with much more risk than he should be carrying at his age.
We have a lot of conversations like this with potential clients, about what their objectives are and whether their adviser is truly listening to what they want to accomplish or just running his own path. It’s where the whole fiduciary vs. suitability discussion comes in — when you have to explain to someone about having an adviser who is truly looking out for their best interests and has no conflicts.
A fee-based adviser isn’t being pushed by his employer to sell certain products; he’s getting a percentage to manage your portfolio. If you do well, he makes more money. If your account decreases in value, he makes less. You’re a team with a common goal. And that’s critical.
Decision time
We see a lot of people who are blown away when they learn their financial professional is making money whether they do or not. They’re hurt or angry, or they just don’t believe it until we lay it out for them.
Then it’s up to them to decide: Is their money more important, or is keeping that relationship worth the added cost to their portfolio?
It’s a cliffhanger, for sure — a dramatic moment that may require an uncomfortable confrontation … just like in the movies.
Except this is real life. And it’s their nest egg — the money they’ve been saving a lifetime to pay for their retirement dream.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Stabilize After Powell's Rate-Cut WarningThe main indexes temporarily tumbled after Fed Chair Powell said interest rates could stay higher for longer.
-
How Did O.J. Simpson Avoid Paying the Brown and Goldman Families?And now that he’s died, will the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman be able to collect on the 1997 civil judgment?
-
How Did O.J. Simpson Avoid Paying the Brown and Goldman Families?
And now that he’s died, will the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman be able to collect on the 1997 civil judgment?
-
What Not to Do if an Employee or Loved One Is KidnappedBusinesses need to have a crisis plan in place so that everyone knows what to do and how to do it. Sometimes, calling the authorities isn’t recommended.
-
Why You Shouldn’t Let High Interest Rates Seduce YouWhile increased interest rates are improving the returns on high-yield savings accounts, that may not be an effective place to park your money for the long term.
-
Need to Build an Emergency Fund? Seven Steps to Get ThereHaving a safety net can mean peace of mind on top of being able to maintain your lifestyle if a financial emergency strikes.
-
Which Type of Life Insurance Is Right for You?Life insurance isn’t a one-size-fits-all option. Here are the differences between term life, whole life and indexed universal life insurance.
-
What Happens Financially When You Work One More Year?The impact of saving more, spending less later and benefiting from an extra year or more of compounding can be truly staggering.
-
Three Ways to Give to Your Kids Tax-Free While You’re Still AliveParents can see the positive impact of their giving through tax arbitrage, giving cash (within limits) or directly paying for school or medical expenses.
-
Your Kids' Tax Brackets Could Lead to Unequal InheritancesSometimes, divvying things up equally means one child might end up with less because of tax implications. Here’s how to avoid that.
