--- name: crm-client-lifecycle description: "Design and optimize CRM systems and client lifecycle workflows for advisory firms, covering segmentation, household management, service tiers, and retention analytics. Use when the user asks about client segmentation models, building household structures, defining service tier SLAs, scheduling reviews, tracking lifecycle stages from prospect through estate, identifying at-risk clients, analyzing wallet share, consolidating held-away assets, or evaluating CRM platforms. Also trigger when users mention 'client segmentation', 'retention risk', 'at-risk clients', 'household linking', 'multi-generational', 'service tiers', 'Redtail', 'Wealthbox', 'Salesforce for advisors', 'referral tracking', or 'contact gap'." ---

# CRM & Client Lifecycle

## Core Concepts

### Client Segmentation Models Client segmentation assigns every household to a category that determines the level of service, contact frequency, review cadence, and resource allocation the firm provides. Without systematic segmentation, advisors default to reactive service — responding to whoever calls — rather than proactive, tiered engagement that matches effort to relationship value.

**AUM-based segmentation** is the most common starting point. A typical three-tier model:

| Tier | Household AUM | Typical Label | |------|--------------|---------------| | A | $2,000,000+ | Platinum | | B | $500,000 - $1,999,999 | Gold | | C | Under $500,000 | Silver |

AUM-based segmentation is simple to implement because AUM data is readily available from the custodian or portfolio management system. However, AUM alone is an incomplete measure of relationship value.

**Revenue-based segmentation** uses total annual fees generated by the household rather than asset levels. This captures value more accurately when fee schedules vary across clients, when some households pay financial planning fees in addition to AUM fees, or when clients have complex billing arrangements. Revenue data comes from the billing system and should be annualized to smooth quarterly fluctuations.

**Multi-factor segmentation** combines quantitative and qualitative dimensions for a more complete picture:

- Assets under management (current relationship size) - Revenue generated (actual economic value to the firm) - Growth potential (age, career trajectory, expected inheritances, held-away assets not yet consolidated) - Referral activity (clients who actively refer new prospects) - Relationship depth (number of services engaged — investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance) - Strategic importance (centers of influence, professional advisors who refer, board members, community leaders)

**Behavioral segmentation** classifies clients by engagement patterns rather than dollar amounts. Categories might include: highly engaged (frequent contact, attends events, uses the client portal), moderately engaged (responds to outreach, attends annual reviews), passively engaged (minimal contact, rarely initiates), and disengaged (does not respond to outreach, skips reviews). Behavioral segmentation identifies retention risk and helps advisors tailor their communication approach.

**Segmentation review cadence.** Client segments should be re-evaluated at least annually, typically after year-end billing and performance reporting. Major life events (inheritance, business sale, divorce, retirement) can trigger an immediate re-segmentation. The CRM should flag households whose AUM or revenue has crossed a tier boundary so the advisor can adjust the service level.

### Household Management The household is the fundamental unit of relationship management in wealth advisory. A household groups related individuals, their accounts, and associated entities into a single relationship view that reflects how the family thinks about its finances.

**Household composition** typically includes:

- Primary client (the individual who is the main point of contact and decision-maker) - Spouse or partner - Dependent children (relevant for 529 plans, custodial accounts, and beneficiary designations) - Adult children who may be clients in their own right or future clients - Trusts (revocable, irrevocable, charitable) established by the primary client or spouse - Business entities (LLCs, S-Corps, partnerships) owned by household members - Family foundations or donor-advised funds

**Account-to-household linking.** Every account in the portfolio management system and custodian must be linked to a household in the CRM. Account types within a household commonly include: individual taxable, joint taxable, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, rollover IRA, inherited IRA, revocable trust, irrevocable trust, UTMA/UGMA custodial, 529 plan, entity accounts, and charitable accounts. Accurate linking is essential for household-level AUM aggregation, fee tier determination, consolidated reporting, and holistic financial planning.

**Household AUM aggregation.** The CRM should display total household AUM by pulling position-level data from the portfolio management system or custodian feeds. Aggregation must handle: accounts at multiple custodians, held-away assets (employer retirement plans, outside brokerage accounts, bank accounts) that are tracked but not managed, and assets under advisement (where the firm provides guidance but does not have discretion).

**Multi-generational relationships.** Wealth management relationships increasingly span generations. The CRM should support parent-child household linking so that when a client's adult child becomes a client, the advisor can see the full family relationship, track generational wealth transfer, and coordinate estate planning across generations. This is critical for client retention during the intergenerational wealth transfer projected over the coming decades — estimated at roughly $84 trillion through 2045 (Cerulli Associates estimate, published 2022; verify current projections).

**Primary and secondary advisor assignment.** Each household should have a designated primary advisor (responsible for the relationship and investment decisions) and optionally a secondary advisor or client service associate. The CRM should track these assignments and use them for routing service requests, scheduling reviews, and generating workload reports. When an advisor departs the firm, the CRM's advisor assignment data drives the client reassignment process.

**Household data hygiene.** Common data quality issues include: orphaned accounts not linked to any household, duplicate household records for the same family, stale contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email), missing or incorrect beneficiary data in the CRM (which may differ from the custodian's records), and inconsistent naming conventions (e.g., "Robert Smith" in one record and "Bob Smith" in another). Quarterly data quality audits should identify and remediate these issues.

### Service Tier Frameworks Service tiers translate client segmentation into a concrete, actionable service delivery program. Each tier defines the minimum service standards the firm commits to providing, creating consistency across advisors and accountability for service delivery.

**Service tier definition matrix:**

| Service Element | Platinum (A) | Gold (B) | Silver (C) | |----------------|-------------|---------|-----------| | Annual reviews | 4 (quarterly) | 2 (semi-annual) | 1 (annual) | | Proactive contacts | Monthly | Bi-monthly | Quarterly | | Financial plan | Comprehensive, updated annually | Modular, updated bi-annually | Goal-based, updated at review | | Tax coordination | Direct CPA collaboration | Tax-aware investing | Tax-lot method guidance | | Estate planning | Attorney coordination, trust review | Estate plan checklist | Beneficiary review | | Event invitations | All events + exclusive dinners | All events | Educational seminars | | Response time SLA | Same business day | Next business day | 2 business days | | Dedicated CSA | Named CSA assigned | Shared CSA pool | General service queue |

**SLA enforcement.** Service level agreements are only meaningful if the firm tracks compliance. The CRM should monitor: days since last contact (by tier), whether the required number of reviews have been completed within the trailing 12 months, response time on service requests, and whether proactive outreach targets are being met. Advisors and practice managers should receive weekly or monthly SLA compliance reports.

**Service menu per tier.** Beyond the matrix above, firms should define the full menu of services available at each tier. Platinum clients might receive: proactive tax-loss harvesting, annual estate plan coordination with the client's attorney, Social Security and Medicare optimization analysis, charitable giving strategy, and invitation to an annual client appreciation event. Silver clients might receive: annual portfolio review, beneficiary verification, and access to educational webinars. The service menu should be documented and shared with all advisors and client service associates to ensure consistent delivery.

**Capacity planning.** Service tiers drive advisor capacity requirements. If a Platinum client requires 20 hours of advisor time per year and a Silver client requires 4 hours, an advisor's capacity determines how many clients of each tier they can serve effectively. A common capacity model: one advisor can serve 20-25 Platinum households, 40-60 Gold households, or 100-150 Silver households, with most advisors managing a blended book.

### Client Review Scheduling Systematic review scheduling ensures that every client receives the review cadence appropriate to their service tier and that reviews are prepared thoroughly, conducted effectively, and documented for compliance purposes.

**Review cadence by tier:** - Platinum: quarterly reviews (every 90 days) - Gold: semi-annual reviews (every 180 days) - Silver: annual reviews (every 365 days)

**Scheduling workflow.** The CRM should automate review scheduling by tracking the date of each client's last completed review and generating scheduling tasks when the next review approaches. A 60-day advance scheduling window gives the advisor and client adequate time to find a mutually convenient date. The scheduling task should include: the client's preferred meeting format (in-person, video, phone), preferred day/time, and any special preparation notes from the prior review.

**Review preparation workflow.** The standardized preparation checklist and pre-meeting data assembly process are covered in the client-review-prep skill (advisory-practice plugin) — the CRM's role is to trigger preparation tasks when a review is scheduled and store the resulting preparation documents on the household record.

**Review documentation.** After each review, the advisor or CSA records in the CRM: meeting date, attendees, topics discussed, any changes to the investment strategy or financial plan, action items with responsible parties and deadlines, suitability confirmation (the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation were reviewed and remain appropriate or were updated), and the next review target date. This documentation satisfies the annual review requirement that regulators expect and provides a contemporaneous record in the event of a client dispute.

**Action item tracking.** Every review generates action items — rebalance the portfolio, update the estate plan, roll over an old 401(k), increase life insurance coverage. The CRM should track each action item with an owner, due date, and completion status. Open action items should appear in the advisor's task list and carry forward to the next review preparation if not yet completed.

### Client Lifecycle Stages Lifecycle stages model the client's progression through distinct financial phases, each with different needs, priorities, and service requirements. Tracking lifecycle stage in the CRM allows the firm to tailor ad

--- name: crm-client-lifecycle description: "Design and optimize CRM systems and client lifecycle workflows for advisory firms, covering segmentation, household management, service tiers, and retention analytics. Use when the user asks about client segmentation models, building household structures, defining service tier SLAs, scheduling reviews, tracking lifecycle stages from prospect through estate, identifying at-risk clients, analyzing wallet share, consolidating held-away assets, or evaluating CRM platforms. Also trigger when users mention 'client segmentation', 'retention risk', 'at-risk clients', 'household linking', 'multi-generational', 'service tiers', 'Redtail', 'Wealthbox', 'Salesforce for advisors', 'referral tracking', or 'contact gap'." ---

# CRM & Client Lifecycle

## Core Concepts

### Client Segmentation Models Client segmentation assigns every household to a category that determines the level of service, contact frequency, review cadence, and resource allocation the firm provides. Without systematic segmentation, advisors default to reactive service — responding to whoever calls — rather than proactive, tiered engagement that matches effort to relationship value.

**AUM-based segmentation** is the most common starting point. A typical three-tier model:

| Tier | Household AUM | Typical Label | |------|--------------|---------------| | A | $2,000,000+ | Platinum | | B | $500,000 - $1,999,999 | Gold | | C | Under $500,000 | Silver |

AUM-based segmentation is simple to implement because AUM data is readily available from the custodian or portfolio management system. However, AUM alone is an incomplete measure of relationship value.

**Revenue-based segmentation** uses total annual fees generated by the household rather than asset levels. This captures value more accurately when fee schedules vary across clients, when some households pay financial planning fees in addition to AUM fees, or when clients have complex billing arrangements. Revenue data comes from the billing system and should be annualized to smooth quarterly fluctuations.

**Multi-factor segmentation** combines quantitative and qualitative dimensions for a more complete picture:

- Assets under management (current relationship size) - Revenue generated (actual economic value to the firm) - Growth potential (age, career trajectory, expected inheritances, held-away assets not yet consolidated) - Referral activity (clients who actively refer new prospects) - Relationship depth (number of services engaged — investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance) - Strategic importance (centers of influence, professional advisors who refer, board members, community leaders)

**Behavioral segmentation** classifies clients by engagement patterns rather than dollar amounts. Categories might include: highly engaged (frequent contact, attends events, uses the client portal), moderately engaged (responds to outreach, attends annual reviews), passively engaged (minimal contact, rarely initiates), and disengaged (does not respond to outreach, skips reviews). Behavioral segmentation identifies retention risk and helps advisors tailor their communication approach.

**Segmentation review cadence.** Client segments should be re-evaluated at least annually, typically after year-end billing and performance reporting. Major life events (inheritance, business sale, divorce, retirement) can trigger an immediate re-segmentation. The CRM should flag households whose AUM or revenue has crossed a tier boundary so the advisor can adjust the service level.

### Household Management The household is the fundamental unit of relationship management in wealth advisory. A household groups related individuals, their accounts, and associated entities into a single relationship view that reflects how the family thinks about its finances.

**Household composition** typically includes:

- Primary client (the individual who is the main point of contact and decision-maker) - Spouse or partner - Dependent children (relevant for 529 plans, custodial accounts, and beneficiary designations) - Adult children who may be clients in their own right or future clients - Trusts (revocable, irrevocable, charitable) established by the primary client or spouse - Business entities (LLCs, S-Corps, partnerships) owned by household members - Family foundations or donor-advised funds

**Account-to-household linking.** Every account in the portfolio management system and custodian must be linked to a household in the CRM. Account types within a household commonly include: individual taxable, joint taxable, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, rollover IRA, inherited IRA, revocable trust, irrevocable trust, UTMA/UGMA custodial, 529 plan, entity accounts, and charitable accounts. Accurate linking is essential for household-level AUM aggregation, fee tier determination, consolidated reporting, and holistic financial planning.

**Household AUM aggregation.** The CRM should display total household AUM by pulling position-level data from the portfolio management system or custodian feeds. Aggregation must handle: accounts at multiple custodians, held-away assets (employer retirement plans, outside brokerage accounts, bank accounts) that are tracked but not managed, and assets under advisement (where the firm provides guidance but does not have discretion).

**Multi-generational relationships.** Wealth management relationships increasingly span generations. The CRM should support parent-child household linking so that when a client's adult child becomes a client, the advisor can see the full family relationship, track generational wealth transfer, and coordinate estate planning across generations. This is critical for client retention during the intergenerational wealth transfer projected over the coming decades — estimated at roughly $84 trillion through 2045 (Cerulli Associates estimate, published 2022; verify current projections).

**Primary and secondary advisor assignment.** Each household should have a designated primary advisor (responsible for the relationship and investment decisions) and optionally a secondary advisor or client service associate. The CRM should track these assignments and use them for routing service requests, scheduling reviews, and generating workload reports. When an advisor departs the firm, the CRM's advisor assignment data drives the client reassignment process.

**Household data hygiene.** Common data quality issues include: orphaned accounts not linked to any household, duplicate household records for the same family, stale contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email), missing or incorrect beneficiary data in the CRM (which may differ from the custodian's records), and inconsistent naming conventions (e.g., "Robert Smith" in one record and "Bob Smith" in another). Quarterly data quality audits should identify and remediate these issues.

### Service Tier Frameworks Service tiers translate client segmentation into a concrete, actionable service delivery program. Each tier defines the minimum service standards the firm commits to providing, creating consistency across advisors and accountability for service delivery.

**Service tier definition matrix:**

| Service Element | Platinum (A) | Gold (B) | Silver (C) | |----------------|-------------|---------|-----------| | Annual reviews | 4 (quarterly) | 2 (semi-annual) | 1 (annual) | | Proactive contacts | Monthly | Bi-monthly | Quarterly | | Financial plan | Comprehensive, updated annually | Modular, updated bi-annually | Goal-based, updated at review | | Tax coordination | Direct CPA collaboration | Tax-aware investing | Tax-lot method guidance | | Estate planning | Attorney coordination, trust review | Estate plan checklist | Beneficiary review | | Event invitations | All events + exclusive dinners | All events | Educational seminars | | Response time SLA | Same business day | Next business day | 2 business days | | Dedicated CSA | Named CSA assigned | Shared CSA pool | General service queue |

**SLA enforcement.** Service level agreements are only meaningful if the firm tracks compliance. The CRM should monitor: days since last contact (by tier), whether the required number of reviews have been completed within the trailing 12 months, response time on service requests, and whether proactive outreach targets are being met. Advisors and practice managers should receive weekly or monthly SLA compliance reports.

**Service menu per tier.** Beyond the matrix above, firms should define the full menu of services available at each tier. Platinum clients might receive: proactive tax-loss harvesting, annual estate plan coordination with the client's attorney, Social Security and Medicare optimization analysis, charitable giving strategy, and invitation to an annual client appreciation event. Silver clients might receive: annual portfolio review, beneficiary verification, and access to educational webinars. The service menu should be documented and shared with all advisors and client service associates to ensure consistent delivery.

**Capacity planning.** Service tiers drive advisor capacity requirements. If a Platinum client requires 20 hours of advisor time per year and a Silver client requires 4 hours, an advisor's capacity determines how many clients of each tier they can serve effectively. A common capacity model: one advisor can serve 20-25 Platinum households, 40-60 Gold households, or 100-150 Silver households, with most advisors managing a blended book.

### Client Review Scheduling Systematic review scheduling ensures that every client receives the review cadence appropriate to their service tier and that reviews are prepared thoroughly, conducted effectively, and documented for compliance purposes.

**Review cadence by tier:** - Platinum: quarterly reviews (every 90 days) - Gold: semi-annual reviews (every 180 days) - Silver: annual reviews (every 365 days)

**Scheduling workflow.** The CRM should automate review scheduling by tracking the date of each client's last completed review and generating scheduling tasks when the next review approaches. A 60-day advance scheduling window gives the advisor and client adequate time to find a mutually convenient date. The scheduling task should include: the client's preferred meeting format (in-person, video, phone), preferred day/time, and any special preparation notes from the prior review.

**Review preparation workflow.** The standardized preparation checklist and pre-meeting data assembly process are covered in the client-review-prep skill (advisory-practice plugin) — the CRM's role is to trigger preparation tasks when a review is scheduled and store the resulting preparation documents on the household record.

**Review documentation.** After each review, the advisor or CSA records in the CRM: meeting date, attendees, topics discussed, any changes to the investment strategy or financial plan, action items with responsible parties and deadlines, suitability confirmation (the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation were reviewed and remain appropriate or were updated), and the next review target date. This documentation satisfies the annual review requirement that regulators expect and provides a contemporaneous record in the event of a client dispute.

**Action item tracking.** Every review generates action items — rebalance the portfolio, update the estate plan, roll over an old 401(k), increase life insurance coverage. The CRM should track each action item with an owner, due date, and completion status. Open action items should appear in the advisor's task list and carry forward to the next review preparation if not yet completed.

### Client Lifecycle Stages Lifecycle stages model the client's progression through distinct financial phases, each with different needs, priorities, and service requirements. Tracking lifecycle stage in the CRM allows the firm to tailor ad

--- name: crm-client-lifecycle description: "Design and optimize CRM systems and client lifecycle workflows for advisory firms, covering segmentation, household management, service tiers, and retention analytics. Use when the user asks about client segmentation models, building household structures, defining service tier SLAs, scheduling reviews, tracking lifecycle stages from prospect through estate, identifying at-risk clients, analyzing wallet share, consolidating held-away assets, or evaluating CRM platforms. Also trigger when users mention 'client segmentation', 'retention risk', 'at-risk clients', 'household linking', 'multi-generational', 'service tiers', 'Redtail', 'Wealthbox', 'Salesforce for advisors', 'referral tracking', or 'contact gap'." ---

# CRM & Client Lifecycle

## Core Concepts

### Client Segmentation Models Client segmentation assigns every household to a category that determines the level of service, contact frequency, review cadence, and resource allocation the firm provides. Without systematic segmentation, advisors default to reactive service — responding to whoever calls — rather than proactive, tiered engagement that matches effort to relationship value.

**AUM-based segmentation** is the most common starting point. A typical three-tier model:

| Tier | Household AUM | Typical Label | |------|--------------|---------------| | A | $2,000,000+ | Platinum | | B | $500,000 - $1,999,999 | Gold | | C | Under $500,000 | Silver |

AUM-based segmentation is simple to implement because AUM data is readily available from the custodian or portfolio management system. However, AUM alone is an incomplete measure of relationship value.

**Revenue-based segmentation** uses total annual fees generated by the household rather than asset levels. This captures value more accurately when fee schedules vary across clients, when some households pay financial planning fees in addition to AUM fees, or when clients have complex billing arrangements. Revenue data comes from the billing system and should be annualized to smooth quarterly fluctuations.

**Multi-factor segmentation** combines quantitative and qualitative dimensions for a more complete picture:

- Assets under management (current relationship size) - Revenue generated (actual economic value to the firm) - Growth potential (age, career trajectory, expected inheritances, held-away assets not yet consolidated) - Referral activity (clients who actively refer new prospects) - Relationship depth (number of services engaged — investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance) - Strategic importance (centers of influence, professional advisors who refer, board members, community leaders)

**Behavioral segmentation** classifies clients by engagement patterns rather than dollar amounts. Categories might include: highly engaged (frequent contact, attends events, uses the client portal), moderately engaged (responds to outreach, attends annual reviews), passively engaged (minimal contact, rarely initiates), and disengaged (does not respond to outreach, skips reviews). Behavioral segmentation identifies retention risk and helps advisors tailor their communication approach.

**Segmentation review cadence.** Client segments should be re-evaluated at least annually, typically after year-end billing and performance reporting. Major life events (inheritance, business sale, divorce, retirement) can trigger an immediate re-segmentation. The CRM should flag households whose AUM or revenue has crossed a tier boundary so the advisor can adjust the service level.

### Household Management The household is the fundamental unit of relationship management in wealth advisory. A household groups related individuals, their accounts, and associated entities into a single relationship view that reflects how the family thinks about its finances.

**Household composition** typically includes:

- Primary client (the individual who is the main point of contact and decision-maker) - Spouse or partner - Dependent children (relevant for 529 plans, custodial accounts, and beneficiary designations) - Adult children who may be clients in their own right or future clients - Trusts (revocable, irrevocable, charitable) established by the primary client or spouse - Business entities (LLCs, S-Corps, partnerships) owned by household members - Family foundations or donor-advised funds

**Account-to-household linking.** Every account in the portfolio management system and custodian must be linked to a household in the CRM. Account types within a household commonly include: individual taxable, joint taxable, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, rollover IRA, inherited IRA, revocable trust, irrevocable trust, UTMA/UGMA custodial, 529 plan, entity accounts, and charitable accounts. Accurate linking is essential for household-level AUM aggregation, fee tier determination, consolidated reporting, and holistic financial planning.

**Household AUM aggregation.** The CRM should display total household AUM by pulling position-level data from the portfolio management system or custodian feeds. Aggregation must handle: accounts at multiple custodians, held-away assets (employer retirement plans, outside brokerage accounts, bank accounts) that are tracked but not managed, and assets under advisement (where the firm provides guidance but does not have discretion).

**Multi-generational relationships.** Wealth management relationships increasingly span generations. The CRM should support parent-child household linking so that when a client's adult child becomes a client, the advisor can see the full family relationship, track generational wealth transfer, and coordinate estate planning across generations. This is critical for client retention during the intergenerational wealth transfer projected over the coming decades — estimated at roughly $84 trillion through 2045 (Cerulli Associates estimate, published 2022; verify current projections).

**Primary and secondary advisor assignment.** Each household should have a designated primary advisor (responsible for the relationship and investment decisions) and optionally a secondary advisor or client service associate. The CRM should track these assignments and use them for routing service requests, scheduling reviews, and generating workload reports. When an advisor departs the firm, the CRM's advisor assignment data drives the client reassignment process.

**Household data hygiene.** Common data quality issues include: orphaned accounts not linked to any household, duplicate household records for the same family, stale contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email), missing or incorrect beneficiary data in the CRM (which may differ from the custodian's records), and inconsistent naming conventions (e.g., "Robert Smith" in one record and "Bob Smith" in another). Quarterly data quality audits should identify and remediate these issues.

### Service Tier Frameworks Service tiers translate client segmentation into a concrete, actionable service delivery program. Each tier defines the minimum service standards the firm commits to providing, creating consistency across advisors and accountability for service delivery.

**Service tier definition matrix:**

| Service Element | Platinum (A) | Gold (B) | Silver (C) | |----------------|-------------|---------|-----------| | Annual reviews | 4 (quarterly) | 2 (semi-annual) | 1 (annual) | | Proactive contacts | Monthly | Bi-monthly | Quarterly | | Financial plan | Comprehensive, updated annually | Modular, updated bi-annually | Goal-based, updated at review | | Tax coordination | Direct CPA collaboration | Tax-aware investing | Tax-lot method guidance | | Estate planning | Attorney coordination, trust review | Estate plan checklist | Beneficiary review | | Event invitations | All events + exclusive dinners | All events | Educational seminars | | Response time SLA | Same business day | Next business day | 2 business days | | Dedicated CSA | Named CSA assigned | Shared CSA pool | General service queue |

**SLA enforcement.** Service level agreements are only meaningful if the firm tracks compliance. The CRM should monitor: days since last contact (by tier), whether the required number of reviews have been completed within the trailing 12 months, response time on service requests, and whether proactive outreach targets are being met. Advisors and practice managers should receive weekly or monthly SLA compliance reports.

**Service menu per tier.** Beyond the matrix above, firms should define the full menu of services available at each tier. Platinum clients might receive: proactive tax-loss harvesting, annual estate plan coordination with the client's attorney, Social Security and Medicare optimization analysis, charitable giving strategy, and invitation to an annual client appreciation event. Silver clients might receive: annual portfolio review, beneficiary verification, and access to educational webinars. The service menu should be documented and shared with all advisors and client service associates to ensure consistent delivery.

**Capacity planning.** Service tiers drive advisor capacity requirements. If a Platinum client requires 20 hours of advisor time per year and a Silver client requires 4 hours, an advisor's capacity determines how many clients of each tier they can serve effectively. A common capacity model: one advisor can serve 20-25 Platinum households, 40-60 Gold households, or 100-150 Silver households, with most advisors managing a blended book.

### Client Review Scheduling Systematic review scheduling ensures that every client receives the review cadence appropriate to their service tier and that reviews are prepared thoroughly, conducted effectively, and documented for compliance purposes.

**Review cadence by tier:** - Platinum: quarterly reviews (every 90 days) - Gold: semi-annual reviews (every 180 days) - Silver: annual reviews (every 365 days)

**Scheduling workflow.** The CRM should automate review scheduling by tracking the date of each client's last completed review and generating scheduling tasks when the next review approaches. A 60-day advance scheduling window gives the advisor and client adequate time to find a mutually convenient date. The scheduling task should include: the client's preferred meeting format (in-person, video, phone), preferred day/time, and any special preparation notes from the prior review.

**Review preparation workflow.** The standardized preparation checklist and pre-meeting data assembly process are covered in the client-review-prep skill (advisory-practice plugin) — the CRM's role is to trigger preparation tasks when a review is scheduled and store the resulting preparation documents on the household record.

**Review documentation.** After each review, the advisor or CSA records in the CRM: meeting date, attendees, topics discussed, any changes to the investment strategy or financial plan, action items with responsible parties and deadlines, suitability confirmation (the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation were reviewed and remain appropriate or were updated), and the next review target date. This documentation satisfies the annual review requirement that regulators expect and provides a contemporaneous record in the event of a client dispute.

**Action item tracking.** Every review generates action items — rebalance the portfolio, update the estate plan, roll over an old 401(k), increase life insurance coverage. The CRM should track each action item with an owner, due date, and completion status. Open action items should appear in the advisor's task list and carry forward to the next review preparation if not yet completed.

### Client Lifecycle Stages Lifecycle stages model the client's progression through distinct financial phases, each with different needs, priorities, and service requirements. Tracking lifecycle stage in the CRM allows the firm to tailor ad

--- name: crm-client-lifecycle description: "Design and optimize CRM systems and client lifecycle workflows for advisory firms, covering segmentation, household management, service tiers, and retention analytics. Use when the user asks about client segmentation models, building household structures, defining service tier SLAs, scheduling reviews, tracking lifecycle stages from prospect through estate, identifying at-risk clients, analyzing wallet share, consolidating held-away assets, or evaluating CRM platforms. Also trigger when users mention 'client segmentation', 'retention risk', 'at-risk clients', 'household linking', 'multi-generational', 'service tiers', 'Redtail', 'Wealthbox', 'Salesforce for advisors', 'referral tracking', or 'contact gap'." ---

# CRM & Client Lifecycle

## Core Concepts

### Client Segmentation Models Client segmentation assigns every household to a category that determines the level of service, contact frequency, review cadence, and resource allocation the firm provides. Without systematic segmentation, advisors default to reactive service — responding to whoever calls — rather than proactive, tiered engagement that matches effort to relationship value.

**AUM-based segmentation** is the most common starting point. A typical three-tier model:

| Tier | Household AUM | Typical Label | |------|--------------|---------------| | A | $2,000,000+ | Platinum | | B | $500,000 - $1,999,999 | Gold | | C | Under $500,000 | Silver |

AUM-based segmentation is simple to implement because AUM data is readily available from the custodian or portfolio management system. However, AUM alone is an incomplete measure of relationship value.

**Revenue-based segmentation** uses total annual fees generated by the household rather than asset levels. This captures value more accurately when fee schedules vary across clients, when some households pay financial planning fees in addition to AUM fees, or when clients have complex billing arrangements. Revenue data comes from the billing system and should be annualized to smooth quarterly fluctuations.

**Multi-factor segmentation** combines quantitative and qualitative dimensions for a more complete picture:

- Assets under management (current relationship size) - Revenue generated (actual economic value to the firm) - Growth potential (age, career trajectory, expected inheritances, held-away assets not yet consolidated) - Referral activity (clients who actively refer new prospects) - Relationship depth (number of services engaged — investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance) - Strategic importance (centers of influence, professional advisors who refer, board members, community leaders)

**Behavioral segmentation** classifies clients by engagement patterns rather than dollar amounts. Categories might include: highly engaged (frequent contact, attends events, uses the client portal), moderately engaged (responds to outreach, attends annual reviews), passively engaged (minimal contact, rarely initiates), and disengaged (does not respond to outreach, skips reviews). Behavioral segmentation identifies retention risk and helps advisors tailor their communication approach.

**Segmentation review cadence.** Client segments should be re-evaluated at least annually, typically after year-end billing and performance reporting. Major life events (inheritance, business sale, divorce, retirement) can trigger an immediate re-segmentation. The CRM should flag households whose AUM or revenue has crossed a tier boundary so the advisor can adjust the service level.

### Household Management The household is the fundamental unit of relationship management in wealth advisory. A household groups related individuals, their accounts, and associated entities into a single relationship view that reflects how the family thinks about its finances.

**Household composition** typically includes:

- Primary client (the individual who is the main point of contact and decision-maker) - Spouse or partner - Dependent children (relevant for 529 plans, custodial accounts, and beneficiary designations) - Adult children who may be clients in their own right or future clients - Trusts (revocable, irrevocable, charitable) established by the primary client or spouse - Business entities (LLCs, S-Corps, partnerships) owned by household members - Family foundations or donor-advised funds

**Account-to-household linking.** Every account in the portfolio management system and custodian must be linked to a household in the CRM. Account types within a household commonly include: individual taxable, joint taxable, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, rollover IRA, inherited IRA, revocable trust, irrevocable trust, UTMA/UGMA custodial, 529 plan, entity accounts, and charitable accounts. Accurate linking is essential for household-level AUM aggregation, fee tier determination, consolidated reporting, and holistic financial planning.

**Household AUM aggregation.** The CRM should display total household AUM by pulling position-level data from the portfolio management system or custodian feeds. Aggregation must handle: accounts at multiple custodians, held-away assets (employer retirement plans, outside brokerage accounts, bank accounts) that are tracked but not managed, and assets under advisement (where the firm provides guidance but does not have discretion).

**Multi-generational relationships.** Wealth management relationships increasingly span generations. The CRM should support parent-child household linking so that when a client's adult child becomes a client, the advisor can see the full family relationship, track generational wealth transfer, and coordinate estate planning across generations. This is critical for client retention during the intergenerational wealth transfer projected over the coming decades — estimated at roughly $84 trillion through 2045 (Cerulli Associates estimate, published 2022; verify current projections).

**Primary and secondary advisor assignment.** Each household should have a designated primary advisor (responsible for the relationship and investment decisions) and optionally a secondary advisor or client service associate. The CRM should track these assignments and use them for routing service requests, scheduling reviews, and generating workload reports. When an advisor departs the firm, the CRM's advisor assignment data drives the client reassignment process.

**Household data hygiene.** Common data quality issues include: orphaned accounts not linked to any household, duplicate household records for the same family, stale contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email), missing or incorrect beneficiary data in the CRM (which may differ from the custodian's records), and inconsistent naming conventions (e.g., "Robert Smith" in one record and "Bob Smith" in another). Quarterly data quality audits should identify and remediate these issues.

### Service Tier Frameworks Service tiers translate client segmentation into a concrete, actionable service delivery program. Each tier defines the minimum service standards the firm commits to providing, creating consistency across advisors and accountability for service delivery.

**Service tier definition matrix:**

| Service Element | Platinum (A) | Gold (B) | Silver (C) | |----------------|-------------|---------|-----------| | Annual reviews | 4 (quarterly) | 2 (semi-annual) | 1 (annual) | | Proactive contacts | Monthly | Bi-monthly | Quarterly | | Financial plan | Comprehensive, updated annually | Modular, updated bi-annually | Goal-based, updated at review | | Tax coordination | Direct CPA collaboration | Tax-aware investing | Tax-lot method guidance | | Estate planning | Attorney coordination, trust review | Estate plan checklist | Beneficiary review | | Event invitations | All events + exclusive dinners | All events | Educational seminars | | Response time SLA | Same business day | Next business day | 2 business days | | Dedicated CSA | Named CSA assigned | Shared CSA pool | General service queue |

**SLA enforcement.** Service level agreements are only meaningful if the firm tracks compliance. The CRM should monitor: days since last contact (by tier), whether the required number of reviews have been completed within the trailing 12 months, response time on service requests, and whether proactive outreach targets are being met. Advisors and practice managers should receive weekly or monthly SLA compliance reports.

**Service menu per tier.** Beyond the matrix above, firms should define the full menu of services available at each tier. Platinum clients might receive: proactive tax-loss harvesting, annual estate plan coordination with the client's attorney, Social Security and Medicare optimization analysis, charitable giving strategy, and invitation to an annual client appreciation event. Silver clients might receive: annual portfolio review, beneficiary verification, and access to educational webinars. The service menu should be documented and shared with all advisors and client service associates to ensure consistent delivery.

**Capacity planning.** Service tiers drive advisor capacity requirements. If a Platinum client requires 20 hours of advisor time per year and a Silver client requires 4 hours, an advisor's capacity determines how many clients of each tier they can serve effectively. A common capacity model: one advisor can serve 20-25 Platinum households, 40-60 Gold households, or 100-150 Silver households, with most advisors managing a blended book.

### Client Review Scheduling Systematic review scheduling ensures that every client receives the review cadence appropriate to their service tier and that reviews are prepared thoroughly, conducted effectively, and documented for compliance purposes.

**Review cadence by tier:** - Platinum: quarterly reviews (every 90 days) - Gold: semi-annual reviews (every 180 days) - Silver: annual reviews (every 365 days)

**Scheduling workflow.** The CRM should automate review scheduling by tracking the date of each client's last completed review and generating scheduling tasks when the next review approaches. A 60-day advance scheduling window gives the advisor and client adequate time to find a mutually convenient date. The scheduling task should include: the client's preferred meeting format (in-person, video, phone), preferred day/time, and any special preparation notes from the prior review.

**Review preparation workflow.** The standardized preparation checklist and pre-meeting data assembly process are covered in the client-review-prep skill (advisory-practice plugin) — the CRM's role is to trigger preparation tasks when a review is scheduled and store the resulting preparation documents on the household record.

**Review documentation.** After each review, the advisor or CSA records in the CRM: meeting date, attendees, topics discussed, any changes to the investment strategy or financial plan, action items with responsible parties and deadlines, suitability confirmation (the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation were reviewed and remain appropriate or were updated), and the next review target date. This documentation satisfies the annual review requirement that regulators expect and provides a contemporaneous record in the event of a client dispute.

**Action item tracking.** Every review generates action items — rebalance the portfolio, update the estate plan, roll over an old 401(k), increase life insurance coverage. The CRM should track each action item with an owner, due date, and completion status. Open action items should appear in the advisor's task list and carry forward to the next review preparation if not yet completed.

### Client Lifecycle Stages Lifecycle stages model the client's progression through distinct financial phases, each with different needs, priorities, and service requirements. Tracking lifecycle stage in the CRM allows the firm to tailor ad