MFS HERITAGE PLANNING

Transcription

1 Business-Building Programs MFS HERITAGE PLANNING Action plans and resources to help your clients in every life stage FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY. Should not be shown, quoted, or distributed to the public.

2 EVERYTHING YOU NEED WITH JUST ONE CLICK MFS Heritage Planning is the easy-to-use, industryrenowned resource library at mfs.com/hp. Designed specifically for investment professionals like you, Heritage PlanningSM provides the tools you need to build your brand and your business as a multigenerational family financial advisor. The program has high-impact client education and consultation ideas, customizable infosheets and detailed action plans to help you address your clients key family financial issues: Retirement Education Planning Life Events Eldercare Estate Planning Financial Basics In just a few pages, this brochure highlights the proven, time-tested ways you can use Heritage Planning to profoundly enhance your relationship and business-building efforts with clients, their families, prospects and centers of influence. FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY. Should not be shown, quoted, or distributed to the public.

3 CLIENT CHECKLIST Uncover consulting opportunities The What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist is the most popular piece of literature in the Heritage Planning advisor arsenal. Its sensible language and straightforward format make the checklist both easy to use and incredibly powerful. The questions listed cover your clients and prospects most common financial concerns at every stage and change of life. For each question, you can provide answers using the Heritage Planning infosheets you download from mfs.com/hp. You can even customize the materials with your contact information, or ask your MFS team to do that for you. IN YOUR OFFICE To identify client needs Provide customized checklists on a clipboard in your waiting area. Ask clients to identify current or anticipated concerns they or their families are facing. Equipped with this understanding, provide ideas and solutions to meet clients needs. During reviews Explain that as a family advisor you can help address clients or family members pressing concerns. At the close of an annual review, provide key clients with extra customized checklists and return envelopes they can share with a family member or friend. PROSPECTING To set yourself apart Use the checklist as an annual, branchinitiated marketing mailer to valued clients, prospects (including clients adult children) and centers of influence. Include a cover letter, as well as a return envelope, explaining that these are the types of issues you address with your clients and their family and friends. June and July are ideal months for making contact, when the volume of mail people receive is usually light and clients and their families often visit one another. If you conduct outside visits in the community, use customized checklists as a leave-behind and a compelling example of all you do for clients. At seminars and workshops as a conversation expander Any time you speak to a group, hand out checklists as a final call to action at the close of the event. Sample close : BUILDING REFERRALS Centers of influence (COI) When you meet with centers of influence, provide a customized checklist and explain that as a family financial advisor you address these planning issues. Offer to provide a pad or supply of checklists to place in their waiting area or to use in their own annual mailings or client meetings. Customize the checklists with their contact information (or yours). Share the checklist with all tax and legal professionals for your top 20 clients. Before you go, please take a look at the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist I ve given you. Mark the top 2 or 3 life issues that you or someone in your family may face in the next 18 to 24 months. As a family financial advisor, I can review your completed checklist with you and discuss potential solutions or appropriate next steps you should consider. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Please take a minute to review the topics and related questions below. Check off any concerns you have right now. Chances are I have information that will help us address many of the issues that may worry you. RETIREMENT EDUCATION PLANNING LIFE EVENTS ELDERCARE ESTATE PLANNING Will my money last through retirement? Do I need long-term care insurance? What are my retirement investment options? How do I manage all my retirement plans? What should I consider before claiming Social Security? What should I do with my employer retirement plan? Since I am retiring soon, what do I need to do now? How much should I save for college? When should I start planning? Will I qualify for financial aid? Where do I start? What are my college savings options? REQUEST INFORMATION NAME ADDRESS How do we manage our finances after getting married? What happens to my 401(k) when I change jobs? What are my options if I am laid off? I am getting divorced. What happens to my assets? How do I help my recent college grad transition into the workforce? What do I do when a loved one dies? How does Medicare work? What should I look for in a nursing home? How do I cope with Alzheimer s disease? What happens if I have to care for my parents? BUSINESS BUILDERS What should I know about estate planning? How do I protect my estate from taxes? Will my family be secure if something happens to me? How do I create a legacy for my children? Can I provide for my favorite charity when I am gone? What will my survivors need to know? CITY STATE ZIP CODE BUSINESS PHONE Step 1: Connect Use our popular Wh HOME PHONE (see back) to spar conversations wi Step 2: Enga Leave copies i area. Mail or it out at you meetings a Step 3: Meet w priorit Intro spe ap u You Up at Night? ch BEST TIME TO CALL do I keep my records safe and organized? better job budgeting? How do I reduce money? ancial strategy? This mat as help person You inve oth b

4 CLIENT INFOSHEETS Educate yourself, your clients and prospects The MFS Heritage Planning advisor program includes over 45 infosheets (articles) that address many life issues, including retirement, eldercare, financial basics and more. You can find each infosheet online at mfs.com/hp. Use the information to enrich consultations, or share the infosheets directly with clients. Here are some time-tested tips for using infosheets most effectively. CUSTOMIZE FOR CLIENTS Address individual client issues When a client or prospect identifies a family issue, whether in conversation or via the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist, visit mfs.com/hp to search for relevant infosheets. Customize the infosheets with your contact information. Save the sheet as a PDF so you can or print to mail or hand-deliver. Create a customized booklet Use the tools on mfs.com/hp to create customized booklets of infosheets that address an individual client s needs. Customize the cover page of your booklet with the investor s name and your name and contact information. AUTOMATE ONGOING CONTACT Build a disciplined client or prospect drip contact plan Provide the information your clients and prospects really need. Infosheets can be a valuable addition to your ongoing mailing program. Visit the Monthly Touchpoints calendar at mfs.com/hp for client contact ideas. Targeted communications that are particularly relevant at different times of the year are perfect for staying in touch with clients, their families, prospects and centers of influence. mfs.com/hp 1 EDUCATE CLIENTS Access content for educational workshops to explain issues that are of interest or concern to targeted clients or prospects Identify client needs with the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist. Host educational workshops periodically for clients who share a common planning interest or concern. Hold seminars at your office or with affinity groups that reach your key clients. Use infosheets or an approved MFS seminar as your presentation content. at Keeps UNCOVER OPPORTUNITIES Using the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist RETIREMENT ecklist k planning th your clients. ge n your reception it. Hand r client review nd events. Address ith clients to review and ize their top concerns. duce strategies for their cific needs using the plicable infosheets listed nder each question at right. Access all infosheets at mfs.com > Sales Tools > MFS Heritage Planning. Step 4: Reconnect Schedule follow-ups to review progress and uncover any new concerns or opportunities. erial should be used ful hints only. Each s situation is different. should consult your stment professional or er relevant professional efore making any decisions. MFS does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. Clients of MFS should obtain their own independent tax and legal advice based on their particular circumstances. Will my money last through retirement? Financial issues as retirement draws near Social Security s annual benefits statement Do I need long-term care insurance? Choosing long-term care insurance What are my retirement investment options? Roth IRA: A retirement investment choice How do I manage all my retirement plans? Consolidating retirement plan assets Weighing your 401(k) options at retirement What should I consider before claiming Social Security? Ten key facts about Social Security What should I do with my employer retirement plan? An IRA dilemma: To roll or not to roll Since I am retiring soon, what do I need to do now? Financial issues as retirement draws near Ten rules for the retirement road Weighing 401(k) options at retirement Understanding required minimum distributions (RMDs) EDUCATION PLANNING HP-CKLST-FLY-3/ How much should I save for college? When should I start planning? 529 college planning Will I qualify for financial aid? Where do I start? Winning at the college financial aid game What are my college savings options? Understanding your college savings options LIFE EVENTS ELDERCARE How does Medicare work? Facing the complexities of Medicare What should I look for in a nursing home? Finding the right care facility for an older relative Nursing home checklist How do I cope with Alzheimer s disease? How to help a loved one with Alzheimer s disease What happens if I have to care for my parents? Caring for aging parents Being a caregiver ESTATE PLANNING How do we manage our finances after getting married? Merging finances after marriage Creating a household budget Contact and financial information worksheet What happens to my 401(k) when I change jobs? 401(k) plan choices for job changers What are my options if I am laid off? Managing a job layoff I am getting divorced. What happens to my assets? Divorce worksheets How do I help my recent college grad transition into orkforce? ps for recent graduates ed one dies? What should I know about estate planning? Nine important estate planning steps How do I protect my estate from taxes? Dealing with your home as part of your estate Will my family be secure if something happens to me? Stretch your IRA across generations Using trusts as part of your estate planning How do I create a legacy for my children? Choosing beneficiaries for your IRA Can I provide for my favorite charity when I am gone? Understanding estate and inheritance taxes Minimize taxes with estate planning and gifting What will my survivors need to know? What you need your survivors to know FINANCIAL BASICS How do I keep my records safe and organized? Organizing your financial records Contact and financial information worksheet How do I do a better job budgeting? How do I reduce my debt? Reducing debt takes commitment and patience Creating a household budget How do I teach little kids about money? Nine steps to raising money-smart kids How do I help a young adult establish a financial strategy? Building a financial foundation for the next generation Creating a household budget Organizing your financial records How do I have financial discussions with family? Family financial map Family wealth management: Tips for a successful transition between generations IONAL USE ONLY. Should not be shown, quoted, WAYS TO ACCESS INFOSHEETS 1 Click on the drop-down menu View Client Infosheets to access articles organized under the same sections as the checklist. 2 Under Using the Checklist, click How to use the checklist for directions on choosing infosheets that correspond to the checklist questions. 3 Click on the individual life stage to access the articles on that topic. 2

5 CLIENT CONVERSATIONS Demonstrate your value with these conversation starters Each time you speak with a prospect, client or referral source, you have the opportunity to build your brand as a multigenerational family financial advisor. The words you choose can make a real difference in how these critical decision makers view you. Here are some suggestions that can keep your message consistent and strong, while reinforcing your value as a trusted financial partner. MEET WITH CLIENTS To uncover their most pressing concerns At each review, uncover consulting opportunities by profiling to identify issues that have arisen or may soon come up. For example, ask, Have you had any or do you anticipate any changes in employment or income? How about your family: How are they? Any changes in education plans/employment/ family situations? Tell me about your parents: Any changes in their circumstances or caregiving issues since we last met? Offer ongoing consulting services based on the concerns identified in the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist. Say, CONNECT WITH CLIENTS HEIRS To begin to build a relationship with a client s adult children Set yourself apart from advisors the children may already be working with by marketing the breadth of what you do. Say, As your family s financial advisor, I help with issues at every stage of planning. I would like to periodically share with you information or ideas that I usually share with clients who are in a similar stage of life. To convey your capabilities Never assume that a prospect understands the full breadth of your capabilities or capacity to help. Say, PARTNER WITH CENTERS OF INFLUENCE To expand your reach Differentiate yourself from other advisors. Share the What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist and say, If you have clients who are dealing with any of these issues, please know that I have a full complement of tools and resources to assist them. I can provide those to you or, if you prefer, directly to your clients. If you are dealing with one or more of these issues, or anticipate that you will be, please know that as your family financial advisor I have information to help you. To inspire introductions to family At the close of each client review, say, If you have a family member or a friend who is dealing with one or more of these issues, please know that I am happy to consult with them. Please share this What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist with them and let them know that I am available to answer any questions and provide helpful information. As my clients family financial advisor, these [need to give a few examples or point to What Keeps You Up at Night? checklist to enumerate] are the kinds of issues I address. If you or a loved one are ever dealing with one or more of these concerns or situations, please know that I can help by providing information and resources.

6 WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF ACTIVE MANAGEMENT SM MFS is a global investment manager committed to skilled active management as the most powerful way to meet investors need for strong returns over the long term. We bring you the value of our insights and expertise through: Integrated Research Taking advantage of the depth and reach of our research teams around the world and across equity, fixed income and quantitative disciplines, we uncover investment opportunities and thoroughly analyze our best ideas to develop a full perspective on the securities we select for our portfolios. Global Collaboration We believe good decision making, driven by our ability to work together, share information and actively debate different viewpoints, leads to better investment outcomes for our clients. Active Risk Management To help protect capital and generate alpha, we seek segments where risk is appropriately rewarded, focus on selecting investments with the potential to hold their value through challenging markets and apply systematic risk reviews on multiple levels. Long-Term Conviction Developing our insights, differentiating meaningfully from the benchmark and staying true to our convictions over the long term allows the market time to potentially reward our investment ideas. You should recommend products based on your client s financial needs, goals, and risk tolerance. MFS does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. Clients of MFS should obtain their own independent tax and legal advice based on their particular circumstances. FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY. Should not be shown, quoted, or distributed to the public. MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., Boston, MA HP-PROGRAM-GDE-7/