Commonwealth Independent Advisor

Kol Birke, CFP

Kol Birke, CFP®, is managing principal, corporate strategy and financial behavior specialist, at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser–independent broker/dealer. With the firm since 1999, Kol fosters technology innovation by working with individual departments to design and implement their most impactful ideas, and he helps advisors align their clients’ actions with their goals, including calming emotions, reconciling risk tolerances, and facilitating life transitions. Kol received a BA in economics from Brandeis University and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Information about securities-registered professionals may be found at FINRA BROKERCHECK.

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Recent Posts

How to Help Clients Avoid Self-Destructive Financial Behavior

Nature Vs. Nurture: Can You Change Your Clients’ Financial Behavior?

CRM System Best Practices for Financial Advisors

Connecting with Gen X: The Clients of Tomorrow

Is It Risk Tolerance or Risk Perception? And What Can You Do About It?

How to Help Clients Avoid Self-Destructive Financial Behavior

Posted by Kol Birke, CFP

June 15, 2016 at 1:30 PM

I’ve heard advisors ask, “Why does my client want to go to cash when his portfolio has lost only nominal money?” or “Why is my client blaming me for something she pushed for months ago?” Rather than trying to explain why their instincts are wrong, it can be more effective to instead just affirm their feelings and then redirect their energy.

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Topics: Behavioral Finance

Nature Vs. Nurture: Can You Change Your Clients’ Financial Behavior?

Posted by Kol Birke, CFP

June 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Research suggests that our DNA affects our spending and savings patterns. Does this mean it’s futile to try to change your clients’ financial behavior? Maybe not. While DNA can affect your clients’ decision making, it isn't the sole factor.

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Topics: Behavioral Finance

CRM System Best Practices for Financial Advisors

Posted by Kol Birke, CFP

March 15, 2016 at 10:00 AM

I’m an odd duck when it comes to technology. While I grew up in an age of technology dominance and make my living rolling out the latest and greatest tools for advisors, I also fundamentally believe, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

So, how do I respond when advisors ask me if they should start using a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, or why they should leverage their current one? I tend to ask one thing: “What issues in the office are you trying to improve?”

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Topics: Technology

Connecting with Gen X: The Clients of Tomorrow

Posted by Kol Birke, CFP

January 26, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Generation X (Gen X)—people born between 1965 and 1979—fall squarely between their baby-boomer parents and Generation Y (i.e., the millennials). In general, they exhibit qualities from each of these generations, and as a result, there is no all-encompassing magic solution for developing long-lasting client relationships with this group. Rather, it is critical to meet them where and how they want to be met, and it necessitates a new type of flexibility in your service offerings.

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Topics: Financial Planning

Is It Risk Tolerance or Risk Perception? And What Can You Do About It?

Posted by Kol Birke, CFP

November 19, 2014 at 1:30 PM

As the markets bounced around a bit this fall, you may have received an emotional call from an avowedly aggressive investor demanding to get out of the market or from a supposedly conservative investor demanding moves to compensate for losses after a rally.

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Topics: Behavioral Finance

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