10 Tips to Help Make Decisions Easier

It's hard for people to decide among more than seven choices.

Space out important decisions that you want clients to consider carefully. Having to make too many decisions too quickly can deplete their ability to resist the pull of emotions.

Fewer choices aren't better unless a client has the information to make them meaningful.

Find ways for clients to buy into policies, plans or rules that encourage a good outcome without requiring repeated decisions.

In weighing choices, consider which one offers the greatest improvement over the status quo.

Clients who have difficulty choosing may need help deciding what they really want.

Learn from bad choices, but don't dwell on them.

Consider simplifying your own decision-making by screening out the noise.

Remember that an advisor's most important job is to help clients understand what they really want and need, not to sort through investment choices for them.

Even with smarter tools and systems, we still need to know clients' fears, hopes, dreams and desires in order to guide them through decisions.