Glide-Path to Succession…How to Ensure a Soft-Landing for You and Your Financial Advisory Practice

One of the most important decisions an advisor will face in their career is planning their transition to retirement. Through years of consulting with advisors on the topic of succession, we have learned that the process takes thoughtful planning and time. While there are many factors to consider when planning for retirement, they all involve fulfilling the needs of four interested parties:

1. The Advisor’s need for retirement income and the future care of their loyal clients
2. The Client’s need for continuity and the knowledge that their friend and confidant is retiring well
3. The Successor’s need for proper introductions, client base management, and stability of the business
4. The Firm’s need to retain relationships

This module presents the issues that must be considered to develop a successful succession plan for all involved. Participants will learn from experienced coaches who have helped numerous advisors through the process of both creating and implementing Succession Plans. The module will include best practices to embrace and pitfalls to avoid as participants begin to develop the succession plan that is right for their practice, their client base, and their team.

Expected Results:

Participants will leave the workshop having:

• learned the key elements of a succession plan
• discovered a step-by-step process to guide their actions and decision making
• identified their personal criteria for a positive outcome with all individuals involved in the plan
• begun a preliminary draft of their succession plan

Inclusions/Activities:

Participants will engage in facilitated open discussion on the steps for implementing a plan, including:

• developing a vision for their retirement
• finding a successor
• positioning their successor and making client introductions
• gradually giving up control of the business

Attendees will be provided a worksheet that is designed to help them focus on their individual priorities and those of their clients.

Participants will realize the economic value of their practice by executing our three-step process for systematically transferring client trust to their succeeding advisory team.

Audience:

This module is suited for:

• Financial Advisors who are beginning to think about their exit strategy, and realize that they need to develop a succession plan to execute a smooth transition for themselves and their clients.
• Advisors with a minimum of three years until their desired retirement.

(Follow-up Coaching: Each participant will be eligible for a 45-minute personal consultation with one of the experienced coaches to answer their specific questions and help them begin to develop a succession plan.)