8 Things to Say to Clients Before New Year’s Eve

2. What are you thankful for, now that the year is over?

Yes, this sounds like a “Thanksgiving” question, yet the end of the year is a natural time for reflection. The first question is a great lead-in for the second.

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3. Do we need to do anything before the end of the year?

This can refer to year-end tax selling, required minimum distributions, charitable gifts or anything for Dec. 31 is the deadline. They might answer: “I don’t know. Do we?” You should be prepared with a to-do list if there’s any unfinished business.

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4. Does it look like you'll get a bonus?

These are often paid in the first month or two of the new year. It’s another good follow-up to “How was your 2021?” They might pick up on your unspoken message and say: “We should think about putting it to work.” If they don’t, you might say ALMOST the same thing: “We should think about putting some to work.”

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5. How are you celebrating New Year’s Eve?

The omicron variant has dumped cold water on the festivities. The options are going to a party, having people in their home, going to a public event, having a quiet dinner or doing nothing. You can draw them out, sharing your plans. For instance, you might say, "We can’t stay up that late." As we get older, our tolerance for late-night partying decreases. They might turn in early, but not be seen as party poopers.

You can relate the story about what Jane and I do on New Year's Eve. We set up the fireplace about 6:30 p.m. We chill the Champagne and put out snacks. At 6:45, we get one of the British radio stations through the radio app on the iPhone. Because of the time difference, it’s 11:45 p.m. in London! We listen to the countdown and festivities and clink our glasses at 7 p.m., which is midnight in the British Isles.

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6. We should get a date on the calendar for your annual review.

You are being proactive. Once we get into January, plenty of TV and cable channels will be talking about “the year in review.” They will wonder how they did.

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7. There are a few things we should do at the start of the new year.

For example, they should put in their annual retirement plan contributions. Why? Because you want to maximize the time they are working for you in a tax-deferred environment.

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8. Thank you for being my client.

An earlier question was “What are you thankful for?” Now you can circle back with your answer. There’s an old saying (from the fundraising world): “You can never thank people enough.”

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