BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time management and growth are two of the biggest priorities of any growing RIA. Yet almost two thirds of registered investment advisor (RIA) firms either do not enforce account minimums for their clients, or forego minimums altogether, according to CanAm Research’s 2019 RIA Capacity and Segmentation Practices Survey commissioned by Facet Wealth (“Facet”), a next-generation financial services company. The survey of more than 360 advisors at North American RIAs offers a revealing glimpse of the challenges modern advisors face when prioritizing their goals and managing their valuable time, and how these challenges are inextricably tied to the need to serve clients who will help RIAs grow their businesses. Yet profit is not an advisor’s sole motivator: many serve unprofitable clients because they know these clients still need and deserve financial planning services, said Lisa Rapuano, chief financial officer of Facet Wealth.

“At the end of the day, advisors want to do right by their clients, and some who might not be considered ‘ideal’ from a business growth perspective may also be among their earliest and most steadfast relationships,” Rapuano said. “As our industry trends toward professionalization, a majority of advisors are reluctant to let these clients go or relegate them to inferior tiers of service, even as the same advisors face flatlining growth and loss of their time.”

The survey respondents reveal this hesitance in their answers: 44% said they do not enforce their firm’s stated minimums and 17% have no minimums at all. What’s more, 52% of respondents have no formal process for segmenting and then transitioning clients who do not meet their minimums.

The survey uncovered more insights into the ways advisors prioritize their time and clients, with consequences for their future success:

  • 45% said time constraints are their biggest pain point
  • 42% said growing their book of business was their biggest pain point
  • 50% serve more than 75 clients per advisor

While many RIAs segment their client base to solve their time and growth challenges, 71% of those who segment do so to provide clients different tiers of service. Client segmentation offers RIAs a way forward, but tiered service can sacrifice client experience and brand integrity, said industry analyst Bob Veres.

“Advisors can maximize their profits when they commit to high-quality services for accounts that fit their profile and develop a process to replace the revenue of non-strategic accounts without sacrificing the high-touch, human service they’ve come to expect,” Veres said. “Recent advances in machine learning and productivity-boosting technology have created a way for RIAs to segment their books both profitably and responsibly.”

The full survey results, with additional insights on addressing capacity and segmentation, as well as a webinar analyzing the survey results, are available here.

About Facet Wealth

Facet Wealth is a next-generation financial services company providing comprehensive, transparent service at an affordable price to the mass affluent households that need it most. Facet Wealth is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that offers human-first, technology-enabled financial planning services through a dedicated team led by CFP® Professionals. Facet Wealth is a fiduciary, acting in the best interest of our clients. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, with a nationwide reach, Facet Wealth is a partner to financial services firms looking for a better solution for their mass affluent clients. For more information, follow Facet Wealth on Twitter at @FacetWealth or visit www.facetwealth.com.