The blog

Articles & insights

Dan Solin on investing, advisor marketing and turning prospects into clients. Page 12.

Mar 22, 2018

How Your Mindset Attracts Assets

The “interview mindset” is a good way to implement the Solin Process℠. When you meet a prospect, try to have the same mindset I had when interviewing advisory firms.

Mar 22, 2018

What if…?

The recent market volatility has brought out the worst in the financial media. Much of the discussion has focused on “explaining” the reason for the drop in stock prices. The most common explanation is “fear of inflation.”

Mar 19, 2018

A Ground-Breaking Path to Differentiation

“How are you different?” Advisors tell me that is the most challenging questions prospects ask. I know why. You’re probably not different.

Mar 14, 2018

Have You Left No Sense of Decency?

You have to wonder about the mindset of those who harm the ability of their clients to reach their retirement goals in order to enrich themselves and their firms. Have they left no sense of decency?

Mar 8, 2018

Your Secret Weapon against Fee Compression

Fee compression is real.The key to holding on to clients in this competitive environment will continue to be your personal relationship with them. If there’s nothing special about that relationship, clients will shop around for the lowest fee.

Mar 1, 2018

The Test Most Advisors Fail: “How do you justify your fees?”

The questions financial advisors find challenging fall into three categories: Fees, explaining their value and differentiation.

Mar 1, 2018

The Biggest Investing Myth

There may be a way to select outperforming mutual funds based on past performance, but it’s not what you think.

Feb 28, 2018

The Optimal Combination of Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness

The tension between self-confidence and self-compassion highlights a more significant issue: self-awareness. The successful advisor is likely to be keenly aware of his or her personality traits and enthused about striving to improve them.

Feb 21, 2018

Pigs Fly And I Agree With UBS

If economists were so terribly wrong in predicting the worst recession since the Great Depression, why should you pay attention to musings about what’s likely in store for investors next year or at any time in the future?

Feb 15, 2018

A Referral Opportunity Advisors Rarely Recognize

Most advisors consider attorneys and CPAs as primary COIs, and with good reason. The more affluent the client, the more likely they are to rely on attorneys and accountants as a source of referrals. But there's a referral source they're missing.

Feb 14, 2018

Investment Contortions You Should Avoid

I’m amazed at the contortions investors go through in a misguided effort to “beat the market” when saving for retirement.

Feb 14, 2018

When You’re Talking, You’re Losing

Advisors should focus on establishing trust with potential clients, but what happens when all that person wants to do is talk about risk? It’s tempting to demonstrate your expertise by “educating” the prospect. If you do this, most of what you will be imparting will be irrelevant to the real concern of your prospect.

Feb 7, 2018

Yawn when the Market Drops

The financial media loves to create panic and anxiety by focusing on the aggregate wealth that is “wiped out” when the market drops. It’s hogwash.

Feb 5, 2018

If Only Advisors Could be Like Dentists

While being a financial advisor is challenging, if dentists can overcome the obstacles involved in getting patients in the door, you are well-advised to emulate how they do it.

Jan 31, 2018

Pretend You Are In Coma to Maximize Returns

Here’s some valuable advice to maximize returns. Other than rebalancing every year or so (which is not necessary if you own a target date retirement fund, because those funds automatically rebalance), ignore your account statements.

Jan 26, 2018

The Bird Feeding Paradox

If you lapse into a lecture about the overwhelming evidence supporting passive investments, remember you might as well be showing the prospect an article about bird feeding.

Jan 24, 2018

There’s No “Active vs. Passive” Debate

Anyone who knows the data understands actively managed funds are simply a scheme to transfer your wealth into the pocket of fund families that don’t have the expertise to “beat the market.”

Jan 17, 2018

Investment Advice From a Real Expert

Harry Markowitz is a real expert – and that’s an understatement. He holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Chicago. His list of publications in prestigious journals is extensive. In 1990 he shared The Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on portfolio theory.