Pershing Report Finds Advisors Must Adapt to America's "New Modern Family" to Ensure Future Business Growth and Success

Changing Demographics of Tomorrow's Affluent Investors Spur Advisors' Need to Think Differently About their Clients

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Jun 05, 2013, 10:00 ET

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon company, released a new report today offering a look at the makeup of today's affluent advisor/client relationship. The report, entitled "Investor of the Future: The Quest for Tomorrow's Affluent Clients Must Start Today," offers best practices that firms and advisors can adopt in support of changing client demographics. In the report, Pershing gauges advisors' perceptions of the broader market, and offers insight into which clients may be most influential in shaping advisors' businesses in the future.

Unveiled today at INSITE™ 2013, Pershing's annual financial solutions conference, the report shows that today's family is fundamentally different than in years past. Today's modern family no longer primarily consists of married, heterosexual couples with two or more children. Today, half (51%) of Americans are single (some are single parents), many women are the sole or primary breadwinners in their families, same-sex marriage is now legal in ten states and it is estimated that racial minorities will become the majority in the U.S. by 2042 (Source: U.S. Census). So it's important that advisors recognize the unique financial needs of each of these groups to be able to deliver effective solutions.

"As we see continued shifts in wealth and advisory services, advisors that align their businesses with quickly evolving client dynamics will ensure continued mutual success and growth," says Kim Dellarocca, head of practice management and segment marketing at Pershing.

The report revealed that advisors' perceptions of their client-base versus the actual affluent market profiles of these groups are often misaligned. As client segments such as minority groups, younger investors and women comprise a growing percentage of the affluent market, their economic influence will grow. Advisors who neglect to strategically engage these segments as part of today's client mix may risk a plateau or decline in their business in the future.

The report further concludes that advisors are missing out on an enormous opportunity to keep their clients' children as investors. Even though more than half of clients considered to be affluent have children 18 years and older, advisors have only talked with about 35% of this investor group about their finances or future investments. Furthermore, only half of advisors (52%) offer expertise in intergenerational wealth transfer and less than half (46%) offer expertise in trust services.

Another important point made in the research is that over-diversification is not necessarily effective. The report warns that advisors put themselves at risk of not being able to meet client expectations if they spread their business across too many different client segments. Rather, it suggests that advisors should identify and focus on a few key groups. This kind of specialization will help advisors deliver greater value and distinguish themselves from competitors.

Pershing will hold a conference call for the media on Wednesday, June 5, at 12:00 p.m. ET at INSITE 2013. Journalists interested in finding out more about the program can join the call for a brief overview offering additional perspective from head of practice management Kim Dellarocca, followed by a brief Q&A session for those in attendance and on the conference line. Please email [email protected] to receive specific dial-in information.

To obtain a copy of "Investor of the Future: The Quest for Tomorrow's Affluent Clients Must Start Today", please visit www.pershing.com/futureinvestor.

INSITE™ 2013 attracts more than 2,300 attendees, including investment professionals, independent RIAs, dually registered and hybrid advisors as well as senior-level product and marketing executives. It is held at The Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, Florida. For additional information, visit www.INSITE2013.com.

To keep up-to-date on INSITE 2013 and to join the conversation on the issues that will be discussed, follow us on Twitter @Pershing and use hashtag #INSITE2013.

Pershing and its affiliates provide global financial business solutions to over 1,600 financial organizations, broker-dealers, registered investment advisory firms, advisors, fund managers and asset managers who represent over 5.6 million active accounts. Located in 23 offices worldwide, Pershing delivers dependable operational support, robust trading services, flexible technology, an expansive array of investment solutions, practice management support and service excellence. Pershing is a member of every major U.S. securities exchange, and its international affiliates are members of the Deutsche Borse, Australian Stock Exchange, Irish Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. Pershing LLC (member FINRA/NYSE/SIPC) is a BNY Mellon company. Additional information is available on pershing.com, or follow us on Twitter@Pershing.

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 36 countries and more than 100 markets. As of March 31, 2013, BNY Mellon had $26.3 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.4 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com, or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

SOURCE BNY Mellon