Eat better. Drink less alcohol. Exercise daily. Read more books.
May you keep these and any other New Year's resolutions you may have made prior to the ball dropping in Times Square this week!
Of course, getting healthier and smarter are worthwhile goals for anyone and everyone, not specific to financial advisors. That noble crew has its own set of aspirations for improving themselves and their practices in the coming year. And since these are resolutions and not birthday wishes, saying them aloud won’t nullify them, so here are a few resolutions that advisors shared with us. May they inspire you in 2025!
Amir Har-El, chief operating officer at Savvy Wealth, for example, said his New Year's resolutions include building out his firm’s practice management technology, leveraging AI to help financial advisors save time and deliver a stronger experiences for their clients, and supporting wealth managers in growing their practices.
“One area in particular we are very excited about is developing marketing technology that empowers financial advisors to effectively reach their target client audience,” Har-El said.
Meanwhile, Shannon Spotswood, CEO at RFG Advisory, lists prioritizing time on revenue generating activities as her professional New Year’s resolution. In her view, advisors should focus on deepening their one-on-one relationships with clients and growing their business, while outsourcing anything that takes them away from those activities.
“If they are acting as portfolio manager, trading, researching, doing paperwork, then it’s not generating revenue and it needs to go out the window with 2024,” Spotswood said. “This requires radical accountability because most advisors think that’s how they spend their time, but the data tells a different story.”
Spotswood points to a 2024 Fidelity study on growth that showed only 17 percent of advisors identifying themselves as “thriving” with the rest merely “surviving.”
“If you want to thrive in 2025, then focus your time on what you love and what creates enterprise value for your firm,” Spotswood said.
Elsewhere, Kate Atwood, founder and president of Founders Grove Wealth Partners, said her 2025 goals are centered around enhancing lines of customer communication by providing quick market updates and financial planning concepts and strategies that may answer their questions or those of their families and friends.
“Our firm is dedicated to multiple communication methods, from publishing a seasonal newsletter to conducting short video content discussing topics such as tax considerations, savings and investment options, and other wealth management aspects relevant to our clients' needs,” Atwood said.
“As planners ourselves, we have explored the details of content production, such as the most effective communication style, our content calendar for the year, and the timing and delivery of our messages. Our clients know we are thoughtful in our advice and financial planning advocacy, and we are excited to provide this additional benefit for them as part of our trusted wealth management services.”
Along similar lines, Brandon Goldstein, financial planner with Prudential Advisors, said one of his resolutions is to build on his “already robust set of client communications by implementing more personalized and frequent check-ins, to leverage advanced technology to streamline our processes and enhance client experience.”
“Because client education is so critical, I plan to enhance the educational tools and resources that I provide even further,” Goldstein said. “Things such as hosting more informative workshops and webinars to help my clients better understand their financial goals, challenges, and make more informed decisions will ensure they feel more confident and empowered on their financial journeys.”
Alexandra Quitko Baranski, wealth advisor at Perigon Wealth Management, says her practice management resolution for 2025 is to be consistent and proactive with clients to further deepen their relationships.
“I aim to make myself and my team a reliable financial partner by staying head of pivotal market and life changes and noting important milestones,” Baranski said.
Finally, Ari Baum from Endurance Wealth Partners part of Prospera Financial Services, says his 2025 New Year’s resolution is to “strengthen the personalization of our client service model.”
“We’re focusing on refining our service matrix to ensure that every client interaction is timely, meaningful, and aligned with their unique goals. The area we’ll improve the most is leveraging technology to enhance communication while maintaining the personal touch that clients value most,” said Baum.
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