Client Review Preparation

Core Concepts

Client Context Assembly

The foundation of review preparation is assembling everything the advisor needs to know about the client before the meeting. This context package draws from multiple systems and should be gathered systematically rather than ad hoc.

Data to assemble:

1. Client profile and household -- pull from CRM: names, ages, employment status, retirement dates, household members, service tier, assigned advisor, communication preferences
2. Investment Policy Statement (IPS) -- the governing document for the relationship: stated objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, return targets, asset allocation targets with tolerance bands, investment restrictions, benchmark selections, liquidity constraints
3. Account inventory -- all accounts in the household: account types (taxable, IRA, Roth, trust, etc.), custodians, current market values, cash positions, cost basis summary
4. Recent life events -- any changes since the last review: job change, retirement, marriage, divorce, inheritance, birth of child, health event, home purchase or sale, business sale. These come from CRM notes, advisor logs, and financial planning system updates.
5. Prior meeting notes -- what was discussed at the last review, what action items were assigned, which items were completed. Unresolved items carry forward to the agenda.
6. Financial plan status -- if the client has a financial plan: probability of success, progress toward goals (retirement funding, education, legacy), any goals that have drifted off track since the last review
7. Compliance and administrative status -- date of last IPS update, date of last suitability questionnaire, advisory agreement renewal date, fee schedule, any pending compliance items

Assemble this data into a one-page client context summary that the advisor can review in under five minutes before the meeting.