In today’s complex market environment, the choice of investment approach is more than just a portfolio decision - it’s a business-defining one. For financial planning firms and dealer groups, the investment philosophy they choose to work with can either strengthen their client relationships or quietly undermine them.
Advisers know that the risks of following an outdated investment approach, or one that may not work well in these times, extends well beyond poor portfolio performance. They can ripple into client trust, business reputation, compliance risk, and long-term commercial sustainability.
When the World Changes, Risk Looks Different
The global investment landscape has shifted dramatically. Where past decades were defined by falling interest rates, low inflation, and predictable policy responses, advisers today face a new regime - one shaped by loose fiscal and monetary policy, structural inflation and geopolitical realignment.
These conditions will expose the weaknesses in the traditional approach of a Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) approach - static models that assume markets revert to historical norms. When inflation, correlation, and policy regimes change, SAA portfolios often fail to deliver the steady, real-world outcomes advisers and their clients expect.
Research has confirmed this:
- Schroders’ *Why Strategic Asset Allocation Is Flawed* found SAA portfolios failed to meet real-return targets 48% of the time – that’s a near fifty percent failure rate - over rolling five- and ten-year periods.
- John Hussman’s July 2025 outlook estimates S&P 500 12-year nominal returns near 0.6%, implying near-zero real outcomes.
For advisers, this isn’t just a challenge about continuing to use what’s worked for so long - it’s a fiduciary and reputational one. A material risk to both clients wellbeing as well as adviser business survival.
The Human Factor: Why Change Is Hard
Even when the need for change is clear, many advice businesses struggle to act. The barriers are rarely technical - they’re psychological and cultural.
- Status Quo Bias - People naturally prefer familiar methods, even when the evidence suggests better alternatives. For many firms, long-standing investment models are embedded in processes, systems, and even marketing materials - making change feel risky.
- Fear of Disruption - Changing investment frameworks requires effort, training, and communication. Firms worry that clients might question new approaches or feel unsettled during transitions.
- Industry Inertia - The advice industry has traditionally valued consistency and conformity. Breaking away from conventional norms for the last 40 years can feel uncomfortable, even when it’s necessary for progress.
- Short-Term Optics vs. Long-Term Health - Many advisers fear short-term performance dips or client scepticism. But as conditions evolve, the bigger risk lies in staying the same - and being unprepared for structural market change.
The New Risk: Standing Still
The current environment punishes rigidity. Inflation volatility, elevated liquidity and growing structural debt mean that markets are no longer anchored by the same forces that drove 40 years of disinflationary growth. Advisers who persist with static or backward-looking portfolio strategies risk exposing both their business and their clients to unnecessary drawdowns and missed opportunities.
For planning firms and dealer groups, the consequences include:
- Eroded client trust when portfolios fail to meet expectations.
- Increased business risk through underperformance.
- Reputational exposure in a market where differentiation matters more than ever.
In short, the greatest risk for advisers today is not volatility - it’s inaction.
A Path Forward
Leading investors and institutions globally are shifting toward dynamic, forward-looking portfolio design - frameworks that reflect changing macroeconomic conditions and client objectives rather than rely on historical averages.
This shift doesn’t mean abandoning discipline or process. It means embracing a more flexible and responsive - outcome-based mindset:
- Using Dynamic Asset Allocation (DAA) to adjust exposures when regimes change.
- Integrating goals-based investing to align portfolios with client needs rather than irrelevant benchmarks.
- Embedding flexibility into their investment approach to manage inflation, volatility, and policy risk proactively.
By evolving their approach, advice businesses can safeguard client outcomes while also protecting the long-term resilience of their own practices.
The Bottom Line
In financial planning, the cost of inaction can be far greater than the cost of change. As markets evolve, so must the investment frameworks that advisers rely on. Clinging to outdated models may feel safe - but it risks both performance and trust and therefore business risk.
To thrive in the new investment era, advisers must do more than just continue to manage money as they have been trained to do over the last 40 years. They must adapt, anticipate, and lead - guiding clients through uncertainty with strategies built for the world as it is now, not as it used to be.
To find out about how our range of adaptive DAA managed account portfolios and how our investment strategies are well suited for today's macroeconomic environment - Contact Us.
Disclaimer
This material has been prepared by Dynamic Asset Consulting Pty Limited (ABN 82 079 145 298, AFSL 502623) of Level 20, 56 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000. Any content provided in this Report is for general information purposes only. It is not personal advice and does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or needs of any person. Please seek specific advice before making a decision in relation to any investment. Before making any decision about any product you should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or Investment Mandate (IM) document for further information. A copy of our PDS or IM is available from your adviser or by contacting us through our website at www.dynamicasset.com.au
