I recently had the honor of being invited to speak at a The Raymond James Investment Conference in London and the Science of Investing Conference In Dusseldorf. At both conferences, I had the opportunity to share my experiences as an investment advisor over the last 28 years. The trip was one of the best experiences of my career.
In both the UK and Germany, the financial advisory community is going through the same metamorphosis that our industry started in the early 1990′s. Advisors in both countries are slowly moving from the product/commission based model of the old days to a fee/consulting based business model like the one we use.
The purpose of my presentations was to explain the benefits of the change to both the client and the advisor and to provide ideas on how to make the transition. I’m pleased to say that the reception to my presentations was great.
In Germany, the advisors were very patient as I explained my experiences in their language. I must admit, standing in front of 70 or 80 of my peers in Dusseldorf and making a presentation in German was sobering. But they were understanding of my errors and supportive of my efforts and made me very comfortable.
At Independence Advisors, we have the opportunity to help about 215 families, which is a distinct honor. However, in Europe, my presentations were indirectly able to help thousands of families through their current advisors. That’s a great feeling.