The next few months are shaping up to be a crucial transition period for investors. Most investment strategists believe the markets are recovering and that now is the time to rethink a very conservative allocation style. Besides there is emerging new calls for changes in traditional allocation behavior.

If anything, investors will need their advisors undivided attention now more than ever. But there is a worrisome development. Financial advisors of all sizes and affiliations have been instituting budget cuts to survive their own business downturns. Many do not have the resources and staff that were available to them just two years ago.

Evidence of this trend appears in many financial advisor trade publications. In fact a recent article in “Investment Weekly” was entitled, “Advisors struggle to maintain service amid cutbacks.” The piece warned that advisors need to be sure to keep up customer service chores such as returning emails and phone calls.

According to one advisor quoted in the article service delivery is becoming an issue for at least 15% of advisor firms that have reduced staff hours. Instead of cutting staff, some advisors are cutting working hours and that has led to some office inefficiency that could impact dealing with  investor clients.

For their part, investors need to be proactive in dealing with advisors.  They need not be shy about asking their wealth managers what changes they are planning to cope with the new investment climate and to revisit their investment plans.