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      article by Janus Henderson Investors
      Curated content for RIAs.

      The Value of Financial Advice in Turbulent Times

      By Matt Sommer, PhD, CFA, By Matt Sommer, PhD, CFA, CFP® Head of Defined Contribution and Wealth Advisor Services
      Aug 29, 2022

      Head of Defined Contribution and Wealth Advisor Services Matt Sommer discusses how financial professionals can be instrumental in boosting clients’ investing confidence and helping them stay focused on long-term goals – even in the most challenging market environments.

      I recently wrote an article outlining timely tips to help investors deal with today’s worst challenges. In the roughly five weeks since that article’s publication, many of those challenges have intensified. Inflation in particular has gotten steadily worse, reaching a new 40-year high of 8.6% in May.1

      Along with rapidly rising costs – which are arriving just in time to derail summer vacation plans now that people are finally starting to feel comfortable traveling again – ongoing stock market volatility continues to keep investors on edge.

      Given my background in behavioral finance, I can’t help but view what is happening – and people’s reactions to it – through that lens. I am all too aware of the fact that volatility and the associated fear of loss can lead to various behavioral traps that can cause investors to make irrational (and often unwise) decisions. And as someone who has spent nearly three decades in the financial services industry, I can’t help but think about the role financial advice plays in managing the emotions that can lead to those traps and ultimately those bad decisions.

      So I felt it was a good time to revisit a study I helped conduct in 2020 with fellow researchers at Kansas State University. Published under the title, “An Investigation of the Relationship Between Advisor Engagement and Investor Anxiety and Confidence,” the study produced findings that have important implications for advisor-client relationships during stressful market and economic environments like the one we find ourselves in now.

      Key Finding: Financial Guidance Boosts Investing Confidence

      Most of the past research on the costs and benefits – both perceived and actual – of professional financial advice has focused on portfolio performance and return generation. While arguably more difficult to quantify, another expected outcome of engaging a financial professional is increased investing confidence. Thus, the key question posed in our 2020 study was, “Performance aside, are investors who receive professional guidance more likely to feel confident making important financial decisions than those who go it alone?”

      Our study not only confirmed a positive relationship between advice and confidence, it found that respondents who worked with a financial professional were twice as likely to be confident in their ability to meet their investing goals than those who did not work with a financial professional.

      In my view, this finding has never been more relevant than in today’s market and economic environment, where fear and uncertainty are the primary emotions guiding investors’ decisions. Confidence is a significant factor in an investor’s willingness to stay invested through even the most difficult market conditions. And the guidance of an experienced professional – one who can put the current environment in perspective and help take some of the emotion out of investing – can be instrumental in helping investors remain committed to their long-term goals.

      Furthermore, to go back to the challenge I referenced initially, adding inflation into the mix exacerbates the fear of loss that can cause investors to make irrational decisions, such as reallocating their portfolios into cash. As one of my colleagues here at Janus Henderson, Ben Rizzuto, discussed in his recent post on helping clients cope with inflation, the rational thing to do when prices are rising is to seek investments that have the potential to outpace inflation – which cash never will. That’s why goal setting – and the confidence required to stick to those goals – is such an important aspect of the advisor-client relationship.

      Of course, it’s understandable that investors may feel reluctant to pay for financial advice at a time when they’re cutting costs to deal with inflation. But for those who are grappling with the decision to hire or continue using a financial professional, the potential positive impact on their investing confidence should most certainly be included in the cost-benefit analysis. After all, a financial professional’s proven ability to boost clients’ confidence and help them stay invested could be considered “priceless” – especially in exceptionally challenging times like these.

       

      1“US Inflation Quickens to 40-Year High, Pressuring Fed and Biden.” Bloomberg, June 10, 2022.

      View Disclosure

      Volatility measures risk using the dispersion of returns for a given investment.

      The opinions and views expressed are as of the date published and are subject to change. They are for information purposes only and should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, investment strategy or market sector. No forecasts can be guaranteed. Opinions and examples are meant as an illustration of broader themes, are not an indication of trading intent and may not reflect the views of others in the organization. It is not intended to indicate or imply that any illustration/example mentioned is now or was ever held in any portfolio. Janus Henderson Group plc through its subsidiaries may manage investment products with a financial interest in securities mentioned herein and any comments should not be construed as a reflection on the past or future profitability. There is no guarantee that the information supplied is accurate, complete, or timely, nor are there any warranties with regards to the results obtained from its use. Past performance does not predict future returns. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal and fluctuation of value.

      Janus Henderson Group plc ©

      C-0622-43847 06-30-23

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