Online Learning and Key Events: Age 20-34 Study

These studies assess how 20-34 year olds learn in an online environment, especially how they learn what they need to know about handling key life events like a new job, getting married or becoming a parent. The studies assess the most critical questions people need answered when they are managing key life events, as well as the strategies and sources of information they use to get answers.  The role of psychographics in shaping behaviour helps to understand what drives the strategies people use. Link to Summary.

Adding Value to Advisor Service 

In the mutual fund industry, efforts to stimulate growth and loyalty have often focused on providing added value to advisors.  To gauge the impact of these efforts, we surveyed a targeted group of advisors and gathered their views on how effectively top fund companies provide service to advisors that adds value.  This survey is now in its fourth year with tracking information yielding solid guidance to the effectiveness of the company’s efforts.

Helping Advisors to Help Top Clients

Using methods akin to a therapeutic interview, a select group of top mutual fund clients were interviewed about their advisor relationships.  The aim was learning what our client could do to help good advisors improve their sales and service.  The in-depth personal discussions identified what key investors wanted from their advisors but didn’t get, as well as identifying the ‘secrets’ they were reluctant to share with their advisors.  The selection of clients for the interview was based on an extensive analysis of unitholders and their buying patterns based on data drawn from several unitholder databases.

Customer Views of Branch Service

One-third of customers that gave a bank a high rating for service quality have real criticisms of the bank’s service. These are missed by the ratings. Using specialized software for analyzing comments, we identified the real story behind the numbers.

Attracting & Retaining Real Estate Agents

This study looked at the products, services and incentives that would help a franchise grow by recruiting and retaining real estate brokers.  To make the strategy work, we also provided guidance on how real estate brokers could attract and retain agents without simply raising commission payouts. 

Most Adults not Getting Financial Info They Need

International and domestic financial literacy studies show that 60-75% of adults can't deal with the kind of information that most financial institutions provide. As well, financial institutions gear their advice and marketing to people already interested in buying investments. The result is that 30-40% of potential investors are lost at an earlier stage in their decision-making when they try to decide whether to invest, spend or pay down debt.

One-Stop Real Estate Shopping Holds Strong Appeal

One-stop real estate shopping envisages a market where new home buyers can get all of the home-buying services they might need through their real estate agency. Responses of some 1,000 consumers point to a market that is keen on the convenience this offers and Century 21 is the real estate company setting out to deliver this service.

Financial Literacy Program Gets into Gear

After a year of in-depth research with consumers and advisors, we completed an Event-based Learning Guide for the Investor Education Fund -- an affiliate of the Ontario Securities Commission. The Learning Guide follows the decision-making path of consumers from a triggering event through the initial tough decisions to taking action. At each step of the way, we have recorded the questions that consumers want answered in their own words. These have been formed into 94 learning modules, each with its own objective. The Investor Education Fund is now translating this work into learning packages for their website. Keep on eye on www.investored.ca next year to see how the initiative develops.

What is the Value of Wealth Management Credentials?

What is the value of professional designations in the securities industry -- to employers, to designation holders and most of all to their clients? In an era where consumers are increasingly demanding accreditation, what gives them a sense of comfort about the advisor that serves them? These questions and others are the focus of this work which looks at drivers of value for professional designations and how well several wealth management designations deliver this value. Ways of enhancing the value of wealth management designations are explored. Link to Overview of Findings.

Information & Trust

A study of 500 consumers highlights the need for multi-channel learning about financial matters. While many can be reached by the Internet, newspapers and magazines are still a solid source of financial information for the average consumer. Above all though, people remain the best way of getting financial messages to most consumers. Regardless of the method, finding information that can be trusted remains a key issue.


Selected Studies:

- Investment
- Retail Financial 
- Financial Planning & Wealth Management