This became a recurring question at MainStreet Advisors. We recognized that the economic downturn has affected each of the trust and wealth management professionals we serve throughout the country. We conducted a survey to gauge how the the financial service industry has responded to recent shifts in investor behavior. These insights may help you evolve to attract new clients and maintain loyalty among current relationships.

Our survey shows that seventy-seven percent of wealth management professionals feel their clients are more concerned about volatility, while sixty-nine percent answered that their clients are more focused on principal protection.

Survey respondents indicated that their clients' investment decisions have been changing. Sixty-nine percent of respondents indicated that their clients are changing their investment objective to include less risk. Sixty-five percent reported that their clients are more appreciative of the importance of a long-term investing plan.

The survey also showed that wealth management customers have changed their retirement goals due to the crisis. Fifty-two percent of survey respondents answered that their clients plan to delay retirement; forty-eight percent of respondents answered that their clients have modified retirement expectations.

Five of every eight managers are spending more time meeting with their clients and increasing outgoing communications with them, while half of managers are providing more portfolio performance information in those communications. Not surprisingly, very few reported no change in their client interactions in this dynamic environment.

We're seeing an increase in the use of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and Mutual Funds, followed by forty-four percent expecting to increase their usage of Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs).