How to Utilize KardLets® as a Financial Advisor

As a financial advisor, it's important to find ways to provide value to your clients and build stronger relationships with them. One way to do this is by giving gifts, but it can be difficult to find something that is both compliant and meaningful due to the strict regulations set in place by the FINRA, or Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Regardless of their value, gifts must lack conflicts of interest, favoritism, or any future obligation of the client or the advisor.

Luckily, year-themed Kardlets® from Memory Road offer a unique solution for financial advisors. These nostalgic gifts can be used to provide historical context to your clients and aid them in their financial decision making. In addition to information about pop culture and world history, these useful KardLets® also display information on historical cost of living, such as average prices of goods and services, inflation rates, and wage data. This historical perspective can help clients better understand their current financial situation and make more informed decisions.

When it comes to financial planning, it's important to have a good understanding of the broader market as well. One way to do this is by tracking the S&P 500, which is a stock market index that represents the performance of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the US. It is considered a broad indicator of the US stock market and is widely used as a benchmark for the performance of actively managed and index funds. By monitoring the S&P 500, advisors can gain a better understanding of overall market performance and make more informed decisions for their clients' investments.

Financial advisors can also utilize KardLets® in their financial planning sessions by including a handwritten note with pertinent financial information. Combining the historical context provided by the KardLets® with the current market performance of the S&P 500 can help you provide your clients with a comprehensive picture of their investments and entice them to invest more. Financial services provider Nick Murray likes to utilize the KardLets along with yearly S&P when gifting to clients. He will put a personal message in the back of each KardLet® saying, "last time we reviewed your assets, this was the cost of living. It is time to revisit and make sure we're still in a good place." He will look up the year on each year-themed KardLet® and see what the average level of S&P 500 was for the stock market that year, and include that along with what the S&P level is now to show the growth. He includes all of that information within the KardLet® as a way to show his clients the growth potential of their investments.

It's worth noting that KardLets® are well under the monetary restriction set by regulatory bodies, which means that they can be given as gifts to your clients without any violation of gift-giving regulations. This is particularly important for financial advisors, as the regulations around gift giving can be quite strict. By providing your clients with something that is compliant, you can avoid any potential issues and focus on building your relationship with them.

Another benefit of using KardLets® is that they are unique and memorable. Unlike traditional gifts such as pens or keychains, KardLets provide your clients with valuable information that they can use to improve their financial situation. They will remember your gift and the value it provided them for a long time to come. Additionally, using KardLets can serve as a powerful way to differentiate yourself from other financial advisors and stand out in your clients' minds. With various collections and nine decades of years to choose from, there is a KardLet® out there for everyone. The Remember When collection continues to be the best seller. However, with bright colors and vibrant photos, the Yearbook collection is a better option for young couples or single millennials.

Overall, KardLets® from Memory Road can be a valuable tool for financial advisors to provide historical context and build stronger relationships with their clients. They can be used as a gift or in financial planning sessions to help clients make more informed decisions. However, it's important to keep in mind that it's just one aspect of the financial planning and investment process and it should be used in conjunction with other market indicators such as S&P 500. Not only do they provide historical context for financial decision making, but they also offer a new way to differentiate yourself from other financial advisors and make a lasting impression on your clients.