Quora Answer: What is the Best Way to Motivate People in a Long-Term Investment?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “What is the best way to motivate people in a long-term investment?” 

As financial consultants, we do not motivate people in that sense.  If clients are not motivated by long-term goals, then we do not propose long-term investments.  That would be a mismatch of solutions to client needs.  It would also be unethical, and a breach of compliance.  Clients should be self-motivated.  Investments and fund management is not a place for the faint hearted, or the half-hearted.  Financial consultants work towards proposing solutions that are aligned with client investment horizon and risk appetite.  Financial consultants do not set the investment horizon, nor do they create that risk appetite.  If client risk appetite is unduly influenced, that is unethical. 

What we do, when clients are invested in long-term investments, is to keep them updated on the performance of their investments.  When there are changes in the investment climate, or developments, we appraise clients of the situation, and discuss adjustments to their portfolio, of required.  It is a state of constant dialogue.