Advisors say client calls are up 58%, with most leaning on coaching and selective portfolio tweaks
Canadian advisors are fielding more panicked calls – but most are responding with coaching and careful tweaks, not wholesale portfolio overhauls.
New polling from Fidelity Investments Canada ULC finds 58 percent of advisors report more client calls as volatility increases.
In the live Extended FidelityConnects program, Geopolitics and Growth: Positioning Portfolios for a World in Motion, advisors said clients most value what they call the three Cs: Coaching to stay grounded in the plan (36 percent), Confidence from revisiting goals and progress (30 percent) and Clarity when breaking down market moves (25 percent).
Advisors in the survey describe a disciplined approach rather than a wholesale reset.
Overall, 54 percent say they're making targeted tweaks to portfolios, with a focus on diversification, while 43 percent report no changes to well-tested client plans.
Where they do adjust, brokers are more likely to lean toward energy, resources and defensive sectors, while planners tend to concentrate on coaching and staying the course – different tactics that both support comprehensive financial advice.
Sector positioning shows a clear tilt.
Across the full advisor sample, energy, resources, and materials ranked as the top sector for diversification (33 percent).
Another 30 percent of advisors said they're not exploring sector shifts at the moment, while technology and innovation (15 percent), financials and income (12 percent) and defensives (11 percent) followed as areas of interest.
Precious metals also feature in the toolkit.
With gold in focus, 57 percent of advisors say precious metals are being used primarily as a diversifier, 26 percent use them as a hedge, and 17 percent as a short-term tactical trade.
Putting the numbers together, the poll points to advisors combining reassurance, clarity and selective portfolio action rather than reacting wholesale to every headline.
“Having partnered with financial advisors for nearly 40 years in Canada, we know that when uncertainty spikes, professional advice shines,” said Chris Pepper, vice-president, corporate affairs at Fidelity.
He said advisors are “helping clients stay grounded, cutting through the noise and making thoughtful portfolio adjustments when appropriate.”
