Client Retention Checklist

Within 48 hours of IAA execution, the Client Service Associate sends a packet covering the advisor team bios, custodian portal credentials, document-vault access (NetDocuments or ShareFile), and the planning-software invite (eMoney, RightCapital, or MoneyGuide). Reference the goals captured in the discovery meeting so the welcome reads as personalized, not templated.

In Wealthbox, Redtail, or Salesforce FSC, verify that all account types are linked to one household, beneficiaries are captured per account, and the service-tier flag is set. Common gotcha: a Roth IRA opened later sits as an orphan record and gets missed in the next quarterly mailing.

Confirm the preferred channel for routine communication and the cadence of advisor outreach. If the client picks text, route through MyRepChat or Hearsay Relate so messages are archived per Rule 17a-4 — never use personal SMS.

Book the 30-day call on the advisor's calendar before the client has to ask. The first 90 days drive the strongest retention signal in industry data — proactive contact prevents the silent-attrition pattern of clients who ACAT out at month four.

Pre-approved by the CCO under FINRA Rule 2210 / Advisers Act marketing rule before distribution. Pull the version with the firm-specific disclosures, not the generic asset-manager piece — generic third-party commentary still requires firm review when re-distributed.

The brochure must reach every existing client within 120 days of fiscal year end if there are material changes — a missed delivery is a recurring SEC exam citation. Use the document-portal acknowledgment so delivery is auditable per client.

Pull birthdays, work anniversaries, retirement dates, and recent grandchildren from CRM milestone fields. A handwritten card from the lead advisor outperforms a templated email — but the card cost still counts against the FINRA gift de minimis if the client is associated with a regulated entity.

Any fee schedule change, custodian change, or change in services delivered triggers a Form ADV amendment and written notice to affected clients before the change takes effect. Don't bury fee changes in a quarterly statement footer — clients and regulators read that as constructive concealment.

Book at least 90 minutes for A-tier households; 45 minutes for B. The CSA confirms the agenda one week prior and pulls the current allocation, plan probability of success, and any open service items.

Re-run the risk questionnaire if the client has had a major life event or if it has been more than 12 months. If the risk number drifted by more than 10 points, document the rationale before discussing rebalance — the supervisory file needs the reasoning.

Upload the prior-year 1040 and project the current year — Roth conversion windows, IRMAA bracket proximity, capital-gains harvesting capacity, and QCD candidates for clients past 70½. Brings tangible value to the review beyond the portfolio update.

For every recommendation made in the meeting — IRA rollover, product switch, allocation change — capture why this is in the client's best interest versus reasonable alternatives. SEC exams ask for the why, not just the what; check-box rationales don't survive scrutiny.

After the review, send a one-question NPS survey through the firm's client-experience tool (Truelytics, AdvisorEngine survey, or a simple Wealthbox link). Record the result against the household record so retention trends are visible at firm level.

Re-run the segmentation annually based on AUM, complexity, profitability, and referral activity. Tag each household in CRM so service cadence and event invitations flow automatically.

Two events per year for A-tier — a market-outlook lunch in January and a client-appreciation evening in fall. Per-attendee value should stay within FINRA Rule 3220 gift / business-entertainment thresholds for any clients with regulated employer relationships.

Holiday gift goes out before Thanksgiving, not December — late gifts read as obligatory. Each gift is logged in the firm's gift-and-entertainment register with recipient, value, and date so the annual G&E reconciliation is clean.

Lead advisor places a live call — not just an email — and confirms what was heard. Silence in the first 24 hours is the single biggest predictor that the client lawyers up or files with the SEC tip line.

Capture the date received, nature of the complaint, household, advisor, and severity. Written customer complaints feed FINRA Rule 4530 reporting and the next ADV update — losing one in an inbox is an exam finding waiting to happen.

Allegations of theft, misappropriation, forgery, or unsuitable recommendations move to the CCO same-day for FINRA Rule 4530(d) quarterly reporting analysis and possible Form U4 disclosure. Do not let the responding advisor draft the response unsupervised — the supervisory record needs CCO review.

Capture what was done, who approved it, any restitution paid, and the underlying cause — operational, supervisory, technology, or training. Roll the root cause into the next quarterly compliance committee so patterns are visible across the practice.