An Advisor's Guide to Writing your Retirement Speech
Dear Advisors,
About a year ago, my beloved father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He is one of my heroes—I learned the skills I use today by working closely with him in the first 5 years of my career. During that time, he taught me a firm work ethic and how to marry calculations with kindness. His standards were high, and they set the tone for the trajectory my career as a financial advisor would take.
My dad’s diagnosis led him to retire earlier than expected, so he and my uncle sold their advisory firm at the end of 2021, and officially retired on June 1st of this year. They had a beautiful retirement party for clients and family at a rustic-style lakeside banquet hall with excellent catering, an open bar, and a professional photographer. He introduced his successor who was warmly received by clients and said thank you to team members and clients.
My father’s retirement speech was heartfelt and a wonderful way to close a chapter with authentic gratitude and hope for the future. Writing a speech for your friend’s wedding is difficult enough and writing your own retirement speech can be a special kind of intimidating and awkward. This is your career signoff, and there might be some big emotions involved. Using what I learned from my dad, I’ve come up with 5 tips to help advisors write their retirement speeches.
Share Your “Why”
First, mention why you’re retiring. If it’s because of a health condition, like my dad’s, assure your circle that this is not altogether an unhappy time. In my dad’s case, he shared words about his faith and the peace it brings him. It could simply be time to focus on something else.
Share What’s Next for You
Share what you are retiring TO! Maybe enjoying time with one’s family, traveling, or practicing a hobby. Retirement is not where dreams end. It's where new ones begin. Your clients want to know that you’re going to be happy in this new chapter of life!
Endorse you Successor
Share why you chose them and compliment their character to build trust between advisor and client. Make sure the clients know that you not only approve of but admire their skills. Consider carving some time during your retirement event for your successor to also speak and share a personal introduction with your team and clients!
Get personal with your “Thank You”
Think about this like your own awards ceremony where you express love to loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Share some office stories and thank integral team members for the roles they played.
Thank your clients sincerely for their support and their trust. Tell them that it’s been an honor to be their advisor through life’s evolution. My dad shared that because of the clients’ confidence in working with him over the years, he and my mom were able to plan to have another child, my youngest sister, which was really special!
Don’t forget to thank your life partner and family for joining you on this journey! One of the most beautiful parts of my dad’s speech was thanking my mother for all of her support throughout the years.
End on a positive note
Just like you’re making a graceful transition into retirement, you know how to end a speech. My dad ended his speech with a retirement joke! Filling the room with laughter provides a gentle closer and unites everyone together. Another smooth closer is to transition to another activity, like announcing that it’s picture time!
If you’d like to watch my dad’s retirement speech for inspiration, here’s a link to the video on my personal YouTube channel. And here’s a bonus sixth tip. If you’re an advisor thinking of retiring in the next 5-10 years, contact me. I’d love to chat about your unique situation and help craft a seamless transition!
Warm regards,
Brooklyn
P.S. At Ellevate Advisors, we believe that advisors deserve to retire too. What does that look like for you, your family, and your business? Let’s figure it out together! Check out our services here, get to know me on my bio here, or schedule your free consultation call here.