Amid the gut-churning changes on Wall Street in recent weeks, no one has easy answers. For local financial planners, investment advisers and money managers, it's been a relentless siege of unsettling news, which has prompted daily calls from worried clients.
To see how that looks from their side of the desk, we talked with five local financial professionals:
Bob Dreizler, a chartered financial consultant in Sacramento; Cynthia S. Meyers, a Sacramento-based certified financial planner; Jeffrey W. DeBoer, president of DeBoer Financial Group in Granite Bay; Jerod Wurm, a certified financial planner with Wurm & Frye Investment Advisory Group in Roseville; and Guy Crouch, a Sacramento certified public accountant.
How has this tumultuous period affected you personally?
Dreizler: Yesterday, I was a wreck. I decided I was so stressed that I had to play golf today. It's such a confusing (situation), even if you're a financial geek.
Meyers: I'm holding up well. … I'm constantly reminding myself to stay in balance, because this is not the first time this (crisis) has happened.
The only other time I can remember this kind of intensity was the dot-com boom of the late 1990s when the pundits were all saying that the world has changed and we should all invest in technology. It's a natural human reaction to panic, but you have to remember that it's just another cycle, and we will not be in it forever.
DeBoer: Our clients are in search of guidance and leadership, and we've obviously had some pretty long days recently to ensure we're there to provide the guidance they need. During times of uncertainty like we're going through now, cool heads will prevail.
Wurm: The easy answer is, I'm doing fine but concerned about our clients. You hope you can keep them from making irrational decisions. When things started to get really crazy about three weeks ago, we were literally on the phone that entire week talking to clients. For me personally, I've been coming in earlier, staying in later, working longer hours. And I've spent a lot of time studying and reading, trying to determine what's going to happen next.
Crouch: Like anybody, it has given me some concern. But as we saw today (Tuesday), the market was back (nearly) 500 points.
How do you calm your clients' concerns even as you deal with your own?
Dreizler: I sort of calm myself by calling as many people as possible. It's good to know how they feel. It's like being in a high-stakes poker game: You have some good cards, a pretty good pot out there, and suddenly, the guy across from you knocks over the table. You thought you knew what the rules were … but when you start doubting the basic foundation of your financial management beliefs, it's scary.
Meyers: How I calm my clients is by responding quickly to telephone calls, e-mails and requests. I remind them that our investment focus is the long term, and this is a natural down cycle that we're in. My No. 1 job is to listen and understand.
DeBoer: Above all, we stay calm and focus on the things we can control. We have gathered as much intelligence as we can regarding the Fed, Wall Street, our clients' investments and the markets. It is important for us to see beyond the talking heads and to filter out the noise. We're staying on top of our clients' financial plans and investments, and we proactively communicate reassurance to them.
Wurm: Hold on, there's going to be more rockiness before we settle down. It's a crazy and a historical time. No. 1 is to be proactive by contacting (clients). There are a lot of advisers out there who are not doing that. They're hoping that the market comes up enough that their clients don't leave them in the meantime.
Crouch: The thing is to stay calm. The temptation is to react, but take a deep breath and realize why you got into the market in the first place. Let this ride out for a little while.
What advice are you giving clients now?
Dreizler: I'm looking at their particular investments and saying, "How soon do you need this money?" If it's soon, for the kids' college education fund, take it off the table now. If you have an IRA and plan on retiring in 10 years, and you're comfortable with the risk, stay where you are. You have to determine the timetable and comfort level.
Meyers: Stay the course, don't panic.
DeBoer: Here's what I wrote clients last week: "At some point this will end, and when the market turns, it will be rocket-powered. There will be no easy chance to get back in." Every event that seems so spectacularly unique right now has pretty much happened before in our economy. We've been through all of this before and survived.
Wurm: It's important right now to determine if you want to recover or preserve. … You're reviewing their tolerance for risk. If their risk and goals haven't changed, then stay the course.
Crouch: It's not the prudent thing to react to a volatile situation. If you do, the results could be disastrous. You have to be in the market for the long haul, not for the moment. Let this settle down, then make a decision.
Call The Bee's Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.
