Our Client Meeting Philosophy
1. Establish a Regular Meeting Rhythm
Every client relationship should have an intentional meeting cadence established and documented. While the appropriate frequency will vary, the schedule should provide enough consistency to maintain momentum without creating unnecessary meetings.
Our meeting framework includes four components:
Comprehensive planning meetings
These meetings establish or revisit the client's broader financial picture. We review goals, retirement projections, investments, tax considerations, cash flow, insurance, estate planning considerations, and significant family or career developments.
Scheduled planning check-ins
These conversations focus on specific decisions and opportunities that arise throughout the year. Examples include retirement contribution adjustments, tax planning, benefit elections, investment allocation, and progress toward savings goals.
Life-event meetings
Financial decisions do not always follow a calendar. Marriage, a new child, a job change, an inheritance, a business sale, a major purchase, or an unexpected family event may require an additional meeting outside the normal schedule.
Ongoing communication
Not every question requires a formal meeting. Email, secure document sharing, and brief check-ins can resolve straightforward issues while preserving meeting time for decisions that benefit from deeper discussion.
2. A Framework for the Annual Meeting Schedule
We use a recurring annual planning cycle to ensure important financial topics receive attention throughout the year. The schedule is a starting point, not a rigid requirement that every client follow the same pattern.
Annual Investment Review & Financial Planning
Primary objective: Conduct the annual review of investment accounts managed by RIM Financial, evaluate portfolio positioning, and establish financial planning priorities for the year ahead.
This meeting serves as the annual investment account review for accounts managed by RIM Financial, in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and firm policies.
Discussion topics include:
Investment Account Review: Review each managed investment account, its investment objectives, risk profile, time horizon, and alignment with the client's overall financial plan.
Portfolio Models & Rebalancing: Evaluate current portfolio allocations, discuss any model changes that may be appropriate, and identify rebalancing needs for each managed portfolio.
Investment Strategy: Discuss portfolio performance, market conditions, and any changes to the investment strategy warranted by the client's circumstances or investment objectives.
Annual Financial Planning Review: Revisit retirement projections, savings goals, cash flow, major purchases, and other financial priorities for the coming year.
Tax & Contribution Planning: Identify relevant tax-planning opportunities, retirement contribution considerations, and potential planning actions for the year ahead.
Action Items: Document investment recommendations, decisions, and follow-up actions, including any necessary portfolio adjustments.
Desired outcome: Confirm that each managed investment account has been reviewed, identify and document any appropriate model changes or rebalancing actions, and establish clear financial planning priorities for the year ahead.
Midyear Review & Tax Season Follow-up
Primary objective: Evaluate progress and prepare for the remainder of the year.
Discussion topics may include:
Progress toward savings, retirement, and other financial goals.
Changes in income, expenses, employment, or family circumstances.
Retirement plan contribution levels and employer benefits.
Tax projections and potential year-end planning opportunities.
Portfolio positioning relative to the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon.
Desired outcome: Identify necessary adjustments early enough to act before year-end.
Year-End Planning
Primary objective: Complete time-sensitive planning and prepare for the next year.
Discussion topics may include:
Year-end tax planning and potential Roth conversions.
Retirement plan contributions and applicable contribution limits.
Open enrollment decisions involving health insurance, HSAs, FSAs, and other benefits.
Review of beneficiaries, insurance coverage, and estate planning considerations.
Charitable giving, major purchases, and upcoming cash needs.
Establishment of priorities for the following year.
Desired outcome: Complete relevant year-end actions and enter the new year with a clear plan.
3. Adjust Meeting Frequency to the Client
The annual planning cycle establishes consistency, but the service model must remain flexible.
Factors influencing meeting frequency include:
Financial complexity: Multiple accounts, business interests, complex tax situations, or competing financial goals.
Life stage: Accumulation, approaching retirement, retirement, or wealth transfer.
Upcoming decisions: Job changes, retirement dates, real estate transactions, inheritances, and other significant events.
Planning activity: The number and urgency of outstanding recommendations or implementation tasks.
Client preference: The client's preferred communication style and desire for regular interaction.
Some clients will benefit from quarterly meetings. Others may prefer semiannual or annual comprehensive meetings with targeted check-ins as needed. Clients navigating a particularly active period may require monthly conversations for a defined period.
The schedule should be reviewed periodically and adjusted when the client's needs change.
Meeting frequency is not a measure of the client's importance. The goal is to provide the right amount of attention at the right time.
4. Make Every Meeting Purposeful
A meeting should never occur simply because it is on the calendar. Each conversation should have a defined purpose and a clear connection to the client's financial plan.
Before each meeting, we should:
Review the client's financial plan and prior meeting notes.
Identify outstanding recommendations and incomplete action items.
Review relevant investment, cash flow, tax, and financial planning information.
Request updated information when necessary.
Prepare an agenda focused on the client's current priorities.
Identify decisions that need to be made and information still required.
During each meeting, we should:
Begin with changes in the client's life, goals, or concerns.
Review progress against previously established priorities.
Discuss the most relevant planning opportunities and decisions.
Explain recommendations, alternatives, and trade-offs.
Agree on next steps, responsibilities, and appropriate timelines.
After each meeting, we should:
Document the discussion and material decisions.
Record action items and assign responsibility.
Complete or initiate agreed-upon follow-up work.
Communicate outstanding information requests.
Schedule the next meeting or confirm the next planned touchpoint.
The meeting is not complete simply because the conversation has ended. Follow-through is what turns planning into progress.
5. Measure Progress Through Actions, Not Activity
The value of our meeting process should be evaluated by what it accomplishes for clients.
We should be able to answer the following questions for every relationship:
Is the client's financial plan current?
Are we making progress toward the client's stated goals?
Have important planning opportunities been identified and addressed?
Are outstanding recommendations and action items being completed?
Are upcoming financial decisions anticipated rather than left until the last minute?
Does the client understand the plan and feel comfortable with the decisions being made?
Is the meeting schedule still appropriate for the client's needs?
These questions help ensure that meetings remain connected to outcomes rather than becoming a series of recurring administrative tasks.
6. Build a Process That Improves Over Time
A consistent meeting philosophy also creates a foundation for improving how RIM Financial operates.
Standardized preparation, meeting agendas, documentation, and follow-up allow us to deliver a dependable experience while retaining the flexibility to address each family's unique circumstances.
Technology should support this process by keeping client information organized, helping us prepare efficiently, and ensuring that decisions and action items do not get lost between meetings.
As the firm evolves, we should continually evaluate the meeting process for opportunities to improve efficiency, increase planning depth, and deliver more meaningful service.