{"id":480796,"date":"2025-12-30T20:24:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/480796\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T20:24:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:24:07","slug":"is-this-a-red-flag-since-the-market-downturn-my-adviser-hasnt-even-called-to-reassure-me-dont-i-at-least-deserve-an-automatic-check-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/480796\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Is this a red flag?\u2019 Since the market downturn, my adviser hasn\u2019t even called to reassure me. Don\u2019t I at least deserve an automatic check-in?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question: <\/strong>\u201cHow often should your adviser give you a check-in? Since the market crash a few months ago, my adviser hasn\u2019t called to check in with me or reassured me at all. Is this a red flag?\u201d<\/p>\n

That said, you may not need to go that route yet. You don\u2019t mention whether you\u2019ve reached out to your adviser requesting a phone call. \u201cIf your adviser doesn\u2019t respond, this is a red flag, however, not calling to reassure is not,\u201d says certified financial planner Jen Grant at Perryman Financial Advisory. \u201cThis is one of the most interesting aspects of 2025. If you only listen to the news, you would think your portfolio is under water and you need to start worrying about eating macaroni under a bridge. In fact, the stock market has done surprisingly well for the first half of the year.\u201d <\/p>\n

Furthermore, you might want to review your statements to get a better understanding of what\u2019s happening with your portfolio. \u201cNumbers are the facts you need to assess your circumstances. Then, call your adviser. They should be able to explain what\u2019s going on and how that impacts your portfolio,\u201d says Grant.<\/p>\n

While the standard guideline for client reviews is typically once per year, Hilary Stalker, certified financial planner at CapWealth, says every advisory firm sets its own guidelines based on personal preference, account value and market conditions. \u201cIt\u2019s common practice at our firm to reach out proactively when markets get shaky or when news breaks that can negatively impact the market. If you have questions or concerns, you are well within your rights as a client to reach out to your adviser,\u201d says Stalker.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no exact standard period of time that you should hear from your adviser, but most advisers at least have an annual review. \u201cMany of us like to check in on a quarterly basis on top of an annual review. The market downturn earlier in the year wasn\u2019t as much of a crash as it was more of a common pullback that was within the statistical average annual intra-year decline,\u201d says certified financial planner Joe Favorito at Landmark Wealth Management. Hence, your adviser may not have felt there was anything of substance to discuss. \u201cIf you have concerns, or want to speak to your adviser more frequently, communicate that to them so the proper expectations are set and you are both on the same page,\u201d says Favorito.<\/p>\n

Ideally, you should have a couple of check-ins per year, plus a comprehensive annual review to revisit your financial plan, goals and investment strategy. \u201cNot hearing from your adviser during a market downturn isn\u2019t always a red flag if you already have a solid financial plan in place. Market volatility is normal and a well-constructed plan should account for it. In these cases, staying the course is often the best action and constant communication may not be necessary,\u201d says certified financial planner Ryan Haiss at Flynn Zito Capital Management.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling anxious, considering changes or just want clarity, Haiss says your adviser should absolutely be available. \u201cGreat advisers act as part-time financial coaches and part-time psychologists, especially during uncertain times. Their job is not only to manage your investments but to help you manage your behavior,\u201d says Haiss.<\/p>\n

For his part, certified financial planner Anthony Ogorek says anytime you feel neglected by your adviser should be a concern to you. \u201cAs an adviser, I can tell you that whether you need advice or not, your adviser should be offering client touch opportunities throughout the year, whether they be on Zoom, call, office meeting or via email. I suggest that you discuss with your adviser how many client touches you would like a year,\u201d says Ogorek.<\/p>\n

When looking for a new adviser, seek out a fee-only fiduciary who puts your best interests ahead of their own at all times. This helps eliminate the potential for conflicts of interest to arise. CFPs are often considered the gold standard in financial planning as they have to complete extensive education requirements, pass exams, perform thousands of hours of work-related experience and uphold a fiduciary duty to earn their credential. Just as importantly, you want to find an adviser you feel comfortable talking to, as the client-adviser relationship is one built on trust and transparency. You can use this free tool from our ad partner SmartAsset to get matched with advisers<\/a>, as well as sites like CFP Board and NAPFA.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200bHave an issue with your financial planner or looking for a new one? Email questions or concerns to picks@marketwatch.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Questions edited for brevity and clarity. By emailing your questions to The Advicer, you agree to have them published anonymously on MarketWatch; they may appear anonymously in other media and platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Question: \u201cHow often should your adviser give you a check-in? Since the market crash a few months ago,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":480797,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[529,64,19451,190830,216964,60,190843,4313,216965,216963,255,47587,216969,216966,216967,216970,216968,5660,1061,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-480796","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-analysis","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-corporate","11":"tag-corporate-industrial-news","12":"tag-financial-investment-services","13":"tag-financial-services","14":"tag-industrial-news","15":"tag-investing","16":"tag-investing-securities","17":"tag-mpsmartasset","18":"tag-personal-finance","19":"tag-securities","20":"tag-selection-of-top-stories","21":"tag-selection-of-top-stories-trends-analysis","22":"tag-suggested-reading-industry-news","23":"tag-suggested-reading-investing","24":"tag-suggested-reading-investing-securities","25":"tag-synd","26":"tag-trends","27":"tag-united-states","28":"tag-unitedstates","29":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}