Not surprisingly, the most important target markets for advisors across all three channels are mass affluent and high net worth individuals. Parsing the responses further, we observe that W/R advisors are relatively more focused on the upper end of the wealth spectrum, while IBD advisor place greater emphasis on the lower end of the mass affluent segment. All advisor channels demonstrate decisively less importance attributed to the ultra-high net worth bracket with independent broker dealers appearing to focus the least on this particular market segment. This likely reflects the fact that clients in this segment are fewer in number and that they are more likely to be already entrenched in an existing advisory relationship. We also note that defined contribution plans are listed as more important than their defined benefit counterparts. This is not surprising, given the discretionary nature of such plans. Corporations and institutional clients for all advisors are relegated to the decidedly “unimportant” end of the market spectrum. This trend is apparent in all three advisor channels.
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