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Priorities

Track client goals, aspirations, concerns and more using Asset-Map Priorities

Michael Schwabe avatar
Written by Michael Schwabe
Updated over a month ago

Overview

Getting to the Heart of What Matters: A Guide to Using Priorities in Asset-Map

Priorities is a powerful in-app feature designed to help you and your clients get on the same page about what's most important to them. This guide will walk you through how to use it and share some best practices for making these conversations truly impactful.

Why Use Priorities? It's All About the "Why"

The best financial plans are built on a deep understanding of a client's goals, values, and even their worries. The Priorities feature is your best friend for capturing and organizing this crucial information right within Asset-Map.

Here’s how it can help you:

  • Build Deeper Trust: By visually mapping out what's important to your clients, you're showing them that you're listening and that you understand their unique situation.

  • Create a Live, Interactive Experience: Move beyond static goal-setting. With Priorities, you can have dynamic conversations and adjust the plan in real-time as your client's needs evolve.

  • Uncover New Opportunities: These conversations can shine a light on new areas where you can provide value, strengthening your client relationships.

  • Stay Aligned and Compliant: Easily document your client's priorities, which helps ensure your advice is always aligned with their goals and reduces compliance risk.

In short, Priorities is your hub for the "why" behind the "what" of financial planning.

Instructions

How to Use Priorities: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a walkthrough of the key steps. Access Priorities by clicking the Priorities page on the Household main menu.

1. Getting Started: The "Identify" View

This is where you'll begin capturing your client's priorities.
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  • Start the Conversation: A great way to begin is by asking open-ended questions like, "What's on your mind financially right now?" or "What are some of the things you'd like to accomplish in the next few years?"

  • Add Priorities:
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    • You can select from the Library of common financial priorities.

    • Use the Search bar to find specific items.

    • Click the “Add” tile to create a custom priority. This will default to “Other” and “Unassigned” importance, and you can edit it from there.

  • Add Details: Click on any Priority to open a modal where you can add more detailed notes. This is a great place to capture the nuances of your conversation.

  • Keep it Clean: If a priority has been addressed, you can mark it as “Resolved” to remove it from the main view. You can always find these later in the "List View". To remove a priority completely, simply delete it.
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2. Going Deeper: The "Importance" View

Once you have a few priorities listed, the "Importance" view is perfect for having those important trade-off conversations.
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  • Frame the Conversation: This is where you can ask questions like, "If you had to choose, which of these goals is most important to you right now?"

  • Organize and Rank:

    • You can drag and drop priorities into three columns: High, Normal, and Unassigned.

    • Within each column, you can stack rank the priorities to show their relative importance. The app will remember this order.

  • Add More as You Go: You can still add new priorities from this view by toggling on the Library.

3. Discovery Online Interview Populates Priorities

Discovery online interview conveniently populates the Priorities household page when the client completes the What else is on your mind? page of the online questionnaire.

4. Edit a Priority

Click on a priority to open its information form. Make modifications as needed and click Update.

5. Delete a Priority

Remove a priority by clicking its trashcan icon.

6. Resolve a Priority

Resolve a priority by clicking the Resolved checkbox. This designation is displayed in the List view so you can keep track of successes over time and removes the priority from the current priority list.

7. Create an Electronic Version

Priorities is an optional page that may be included in a comprehensive report from the Household Report Center. It can also be created as an independent report.

8. Household Index

Priorities are tracked on the Household Index as filters and columns. Grab a list of clients with active priorities in a flash.

Best Practices for Client Conversations

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the Priorities feature in your client meetings:

  • Make it a Habit: Use Priorities in all your client meetings, from initial discovery with prospects to ongoing reviews with long-term clients. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s most important to them.

  • Use it for Different Types of Conversations:

    • Know Your Client: Use it to define the scope of your engagement and establish what's most important to them from the start.

    • Financial Planning: Priorities can be the foundation of your financial planning process, helping you to create a plan that is truly aligned with their goals.

    • Ongoing Reviews: Start each review meeting by pulling up their Priorities to see if anything has changed. This is a great way to show that you're on top of their situation and to uncover any new needs.

  • Embrace the Trade-Off Conversation: Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions. The "Importance" view is a fantastic tool for facilitating these conversations and helping clients to clarify what they truly value.

  • Collaborate and Empower: Involve your clients in the process. Let them drag and drop their own priorities. This can be a very empowering experience for them and can lead to a deeper level of engagement.

  • Celebrate Wins: take time to reflect on what you've accomplished together while you plan for what's next.

9/2025

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