During a transition, clients are trusting you with something that feels risky to them: their money is moving, and for a while they may not be able to see all of it in one place. Silence makes that feel worse. A client who hasn't heard anything in two weeks starts to wonder, then calls, then calls again. This module covers what to tell households at each stage, how often, and how to keep those updates going without writing every one yourself.
Update by stage, not by calendar
The simplest rule: tell clients when something changes for them, and check in if nothing has changed for a while. The stages that are worth a message:
- Paperwork sent: what they're signing, why, and what happens after they sign.
- Paperwork received: a quick thank-you, and confirmation it's on its way to the custodian.
- Transfer submitted: the request is in, roughly what to expect, and that they don't need to do anything.
- Transfer rejected and being fixed: a calm, plain explanation, what you need from them (if anything), and that you're on it.
- Assets landed: confirmation that an account has arrived, and what's still in progress.
- All accounts moved: they're fully settled in, how to log in, and who to call with questions.
If a household's transfer is waiting on another firm and there's no news, a short “still moving, nothing needed from you” note every week or so heads off most of the “any update?” calls.
Write like a person
Clients don't need to know what ACAT stands for. They need to know where their money is, whether anything's wrong, and whether they have to do anything. Good updates are:
- Short. A few sentences by email, one or two by text.
- Plain. “Your IRA has arrived” beats “the ACAT for your traditional IRA has settled.”
- Clear about next steps. Always say whether the client needs to do anything. Usually they don't, and that's reassuring to hear.
- Honest about timing. Avoid promising a specific date for something another firm controls. “Usually within a week or two” is safer than a date you can't guarantee.
Keep account numbers, balances and other sensitive details out of text messages and out of email where you can. A secure client portal is a better place for those. And keep every update consistent with your firm's communication and record-keeping policies, which your compliance team or consultant can confirm.
Draft an update
Pick a stage, add a client's first name and your own, and choose email or text. The tool drafts an update you can edit before sending. It's a starting point. You read it, change what you like, and decide whether it goes out.
Tool: Client Update Builder
Where is this household in the move?
Channel
Draft for your approval · Email
Edit the draft directly. Changing the stage, names or channel starts a fresh draft.
This is a draft for you to review, edit and approve, not a message to send as-is. Timing language is general; adjust it to what you actually know about each transfer. Keep account numbers and balances out of email and text, and make sure every client message follows your firm's communication and record-keeping policies.
You approve, the agent keeps up
The Client Update Agent does this at scale. When a transfer status changes, or a household has gone quiet for too long, it drafts the right update in your voice and sends it to you for approval. You approve, edit or reject each one before it goes to the client. Nothing reaches a household without your OK, and nobody has to remember who was last told what.