I first started paying for my own car when I got my first job as an ERISA attorney, It was a brand new 1998 Toyota Camry. I was looking for car insurance and the best rate was through an insurance company that my father’s business partner used for the business.
I used the same car insurance company since then, and 6 different cars. They were great at paying claims, namely the two vehicles totaled during Hurricane Sandy. Over the past few years I used them, I saw my rates go up while my cars got older. I never got a call from the agent about the increase in rates or what I could do to lower them. So I shopped around and found insurance that cost me $150 less a month. That’s good money.
The point here is that when you have clients, you just can’t sit around and ignore the fees that they’re paying. I’m not saying you should lower your fees, I’m saying that you should always have a discussion with clients about fees and when assets can lower the percentage of assets that pay fees. You just can’t stand pat and do nothing, further incentivizing plan sponsors to look elsewhere.
In every relationship I’ve ever had that ended, the blame always rests on a lack of communication. People and clients like to know that they are appreciated and that their continued loyalty isn’t taken for granted. The best way to show they are not being taken advantage of is by not ignoring the fees they pay.
