Sophisticated marketing is informed, differentiating, and impactful, and it can take you farther than relying solely on referrals and seminars. Want to make this year your firm’s best year yet for client acquisition and retention? Pay attention to these top marketing trends for 2019.

New clients are the lifeblood of a thriving practice. Yet, I find that many advisors focus too intently on their prospecting activities and fail to take advantage of the opportunities for business growth sitting right across from them: their existing clients.

With the holidays behind us, it’s a good time to explore why we spend money. Heading into year-end, the stock markets were plummeting, wiping out most, if not all, 2018 gains from our equity-based savings accounts. Yet when I walked into my groovy neighborhood gift shop to buy a holiday hostess present, people were lined up for their Curio Spice Aegean Sea salt and Somerville greeting cards for $4.50 a pop. What gives?

When it comes to social security, the biggest decision clients need to make is whether to claim at age 62, full retirement age (FRA), or age 70, right? It certainly can be that simple, but there are many next-level nuances to consider. To become your clients’ go-to resource for their social security planning needs, start by mastering the foundational rules—then, you’ll be prepared to address the more complex aspects of their situation, too.

Clients newly enrolled in Medicare may not understand the connection between income and Medicare premiums. The IRS, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services all play a part in the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) that’s tacked on to Medicare premiums and recalculated every year. The higher an individual’s or couple’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), the higher their premiums will be for prescription drugs and doctor visits.