U.S. investors have been forced to deal with uncertainties regarding their savings. Considering the state of the bull market, they have to make predictions about the EU and, so, it has become significantly more important to have a reliable source of advice regarding one’s savings. Advisors, much like their clients, face similar uncertainties. They are trying to revamp their business to comply with the fiduciary rule should it ever be passed by the U.S. Department of Labor. This rule would require them to put their client’s interests before their own. Assuming this rule is not passed, clients still get the best of the deal because the entire industry of investing has shifted to lower costs. The best investment advisors choose an investment fund based on low cost.

Thanks to this, best investment advisors use passive funds where they do not have to make active decisions but instead track indices, thereby lowering costs. An example of active decision making would be the current scenario of the best investment advisors cautioning investors against shifting their investment from equities to bonds because of the increasing interest rates and political uncertainties they face. Instead, advisors are helping their clients work on long-term investments with minimal changes to their allocations. Ward Mayer is the managing director of Metropolitan Wealth Management of Raymond James. He says that he wants his clients to focus on investing long-term and is helping them take a disciplined approach towards it. The US Federal Reserve is raising interests, according to him, shows that the economy is developing. Higher inflation always is a mark of a stronger economy.

Passive decision making, on the other hand, accounts for about 26 percent of the assets this year that advisors consult on and are held in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

The Financial Times (FT) recognized financial advisors for their commitment to work and professional development and has awarded them bonus points. More than half of the Financial Times advisors have a minimum of one credential, and about one-third of them have two or more for having earned outstanding certifications in the investment industry.

Given the climate of uncertainty in the market, experience comes in handy. The best investment advisors are ones that have experience up their sleeve. For example, an average Financial Times advisor has about 27 years of experience to back him, and about 90 percent of its advisors have an experience of 16 years behind them. This, of course, means that they have managed wealth through two bear markets at the minimum.

Some of the best investment advisors according to the Financial Times are ones who can prioritize, focusing on the wealthiest investors. Some of the substantial investors have anywhere from $1m to $10m in assets that are investable. Investment advises at this level, of course, is highly personal. However, advisors find it nearly impossible to meet all of their clients’ demands on an individual basis. Therefore, many of them work as a team of experts, each in the team handling a different aspect of the work such as planning, investing and customer support.

Investors who seek customer support will find an increasingly higher usage of technology, naturally. For instance, about three-quarters of the investment advisors on the Financial Times provide customer support through online tools that are interactive. Most of them hold client meetings through video conferencing. This, of course, is a matter of efficiency which compels even the best investment advisors to keep up with “Robo advisors.” Robo advisors are digital platforms that provide online investment services at a low cost with the help of artificial intelligence. They are considered a threat to the traditional investment advisors. Robo advisors use tools called Customer Relationship Management systems that analyze data to figure out what their investment goals are. For instance, an analysis of their activity on social media. However, these investment advisors have upped their ante to stay in the game by providing their clients with personalized advice and communication using the same tools that Robo advisors use. It has been found that the wealthier investors are willing to pay for this kind of financial advice.

Advisors are hoping to create profiles of the wealthier investors to give out prospects that will help earn the both of them more in the long run. Technology helps advisors also to figure out what and when they communicate with their clients. It helps structure estate planning and compliance too. Instead of taking two weeks for an advisor to call 100 clients, taking the help of automated services will work through this in ways unheard of. The relevance of their role may be yet another uncertainty the best investment advisors might struggle with. Of course, the system alone cannot meet a client’s needs. As of today, nothing really can take the place of a good investment advisor giving you personalized consultations on how to invest wisely.