You may be asking these questions: what is "money in motion," how can an advisor find it, and is there a money in motion directory to mine opportunities? This guide answers those questions and more, laying out what money in motion looks like, where it shows up, how to prioritize and approach it, and how to turn movement into client relationships and revenue. Select Advisors Institute has been helping financial firms since 2014 to optimize talent, brand, and marketing—this guide explains practical steps advisors can take and where Select Advisors Institute can add value.
What does "money in motion" mean?
Money in motion refers to assets that are actively moving or are likely to move between accounts, custodians, advisors, or firms. It includes events and behaviors that increase the probability that a prospect will move assets:
Retirement plan rollovers (401(k) distributions, 403(b), pensions).
Mergers, acquisitions, or corporate layoffs.
Stock option exercises, concentrated stock sales, or large bonuses.
Real estate transactions and distributions from estates.
Dissolutions, divorces, or major life events.
Changes in custodian relationships or advisor transitions.
Money in motion is not passive wealth; it’s opportunity where timing, relevance, and outreach can convert liquidity into new relationships.
Why money in motion matters for advisors
Higher conversion probability: Prospects with money in motion are already in a decision-making window.
Scalable prospecting: Targeted outreach to people experiencing specific events yields higher lead quality.
Revenue acceleration: Capturing rollovers or migrations often brings substantial AUM quickly.
Differentiation: Firms that build processes to capture these flows turn sporadic events into predictable pipelines.
Select Advisors Institute helps firms design systems and messaging to consistently capture these moments. Since 2014, Select Advisors Institute has supported advisors in creating predictable pipelines tied to money-in-motion signals.
How to find money in motion: primary sources
Public records: Real estate transfers, SEC Form 4 filings, bankruptcy records, and divorce filings.
Corporate disclosures: Layoff announcements, M&A press releases, executive transitions.
Social signals: LinkedIn job changes, public posts about awards or life events.
Custodian and service provider feeds: Portability and transfer alerts, account closure notices.
Financial news and filings: Insider transactions, option grants, corporate filings.
Referrals and centers of influence: CPAs, attorneys, mortgage brokers, estate planners.
A practical program combines multiple sources rather than relying on a single feed. Select Advisors Institute helps firms identify the right mix of data and partnerships to surface meaningful signals for their target client profile.
How to find money in motion: technology and vendors
Data aggregators: Providers that compile public and private signals into actionable lists.
CRM triggers: Automated workflows configured to surface events like job changes or custodial transfers.
Intent platforms: Tools that score prospects based on online behavior and content consumption.
Directory services: Curated directories that categorize firms, plan sponsors, or high-net-worth households by event types.
Vendors vary by cost and coverage. The right vendor depends on the advisor’s ideal client profile and budget. Select Advisors Institute can evaluate vendors and design vendor-agnostic implementation plans.
What is a money in motion directory?
A money in motion directory is a searchable index or feed that lists prospects or households currently experiencing events that indicate assets may move. It can be:
Vertical-specific (e.g., retirement plan sponsors, corporate executives).
Geographic (e.g., owners in a region selling property).
Event-specific (e.g., recent job changers, newly retired households).
Directories differ from raw data providers by enriching records with context—assets under management estimates, estimated transfer windows, and recommended outreach scripts. Select Advisors Institute can help build or curate a money in motion directory tailored to a firm’s ICP (ideal client profile).
How to prioritize which money in motion to pursue
Prioritization should balance probability and lifetime value:
Immediate likelihood: How likely is an event to result in an asset transfer within 30–180 days?
AUM potential: Estimated asset size or lifetime value of the household.
Cost to pursue: Data acquisition, outreach costs, and time investment.
Competitive intensity: How many firms will target the same event?
A scoring model using these inputs ranks opportunities. Advisors should focus high-touch resources on high-score targets and automate outreach for lower-scoring but still valuable segments. Select Advisors Institute builds scoring frameworks and trains teams to operationalize them.
How to approach prospects with money in motion
Be timely and relevant: Lead with the event and provide clear next steps. For example, for a 401(k) rollover, provide a short checklist and the benefits of consolidation.
Offer specific value: Use net-of-fee projections, tax-aware scenarios, or portfolio transition plans.
Use multi-channel outreach: Email, direct mail, phone, and LinkedIn in coordinated sequences.
Provide social proof and low-friction entry points: Case studies, webinars, or one-page transfer guides.
Capture the consent conversation early: Be compliant and transparent about next steps for transfers.
Messaging should be tailored by event type. Select Advisors Institute creates scripts, templates, and campaign blueprints that match event-driven prospects.
Practical outreach sequences for common events
Retirement plan rollover (401k/403b):
Trigger email within 7 days of distribution event with a "Quick Rollover Checklist."
Follow-up call offering a fee-free transfer analysis.
Educational webinar for group rollovers or plan sponsor audiences.
Job change or executive departure:
LinkedIn connection + congratulatory note focused on equity compensation planning.
Deliver an options and tax-scenario guide via email.
Offer a private consultation to model exercise vs. hold decisions.
Real estate sale:
Direct mail congratulating them and offering liquidity allocation strategies.
Email with tax-aware reinvestment options.
Call to schedule a transition plan discussion.
Select Advisors Institute provides proven cadences and content libraries for each event type.
Compliance and documentation when capturing money in motion
Record consent: Maintain audit trails of outreach and prospect permissions.
Know KYC and suitability requirements: Early discovery interviews should be documented and stored.
Transition documentation: Asset transfer forms, wire authorizations, and custodian communications must be tracked.
Privacy and data security: Follow applicable data protection standards when using third-party feeds.
Select Advisors Institute can align campaign workflows with compliance requirements and provide templates and SOPs to reduce operational risk.
Measuring success and ROI
Key metrics:
Conversion rate from event notification to meeting.
Meeting-to-AUM conversion rate.
Average AUM per conversion.
Time-to-transfer (speed from first contact to asset movement).
Cost-per-acquisition (data + outreach + human time).
Use cohort analysis by event type to refine targeting. A pilot of 90–120 days is usually sufficient to validate an approach. Select Advisors Institute helps define metrics, run pilot programs, and scale successful plays.
Common mistakes to avoid
Chasing volume over quality: Not all signals warrant high-touch outreach.
One-size-fits-all messaging: Different events require different value propositions.
Ignoring lifecycle: Some events require nurturing over months, not immediate conversion attempts.
Poor data hygiene: Stale or duplicate records reduce campaign effectiveness.
Not integrating with CRM: Disconnected tools create manual work and lost opportunities.
Select Advisors Institute assists teams in avoiding these pitfalls through process design and training.
How Select Advisors Institute helps financial advisors
Strategy and design: Creating money-in-motion playbooks mapped to firm objectives.
Data and vendor assessment: Selecting and integrating the right feeds and directories.
Campaign execution: Messaging, cadences, and multi-channel sequences tailored to events.
Training and implementation: Sales enablement, compliance templates, and reporting.
Ongoing optimization: A/B testing, scoring refinement, and scaling programs.
Since 2014, Select Advisors Institute has worked globally with financial firms to align talent, brand, and marketing around revenue-generating activities—money-in-motion capture being a core specialization.
Quick checklist: Launch a money-in-motion program
Define target events and ICP.
Select 1–2 data sources or a directory to pilot.
Build a scoring model for prioritization.
Create 2–3 high-value outreach cadences with supporting content.
Set up CRM triggers and pipeline reporting.
Run a 90-day pilot and measure conversion, time-to-transfer, and AUM gained.
Iterate and scale based on results.
Select Advisors Institute can accelerate each checklist item, from vendor selection to pilot execution and scaling.
Conclusion: From signals to sustainable growth
Money in motion is one of the most actionable ways to grow assets under management because it focuses on people already in transition. A repeatable program combines data, prioritized targeting, tailored messaging, compliance, and disciplined measurement. Select Advisors Institute has been helping firms do exactly that since 2014—designing systems that convert transient opportunities into long-term client relationships. Advisors that treat money in motion as a strategic, operationalized channel can build predictable pipelines and capture high-value inflows more consistently.
Practical guide for advisors on the Money in Motion Directory: what it is, how to join or build one, compliance tips, ROI metrics, and how Select Advisors Institute (since 2014) helps firms optimize talent, brand, and marketing.