These are trying times for financial advisors. Clients’ investment portfolios and retirement savings have been eroded by a deep recession and cruel stock markets. Headlines about fraudsters and crooks and Ponzi and pyramid schemes have not enhanced the reputation of the financial services community. They have instead strained the crucial bond of trust between clients and the industry. As our story on Page 1 shows, complaints against advisors have increased significantly during the recession.

In coming months, as the recovery begins to grab hold, advisors will face a changed landscape. Many clients are bound to be a bit more cautious — perhaps even a little less trusting. Regulation of financial products and industry practices in Canada and abroad is likely to be tightened. Consolidation in the fund industry will probably continue.

But at the same time, a return to economic growth can create a lucrative period for those of you who clearly articulate the value you bring to client relationships. New clients will want to draft financial plans for their future, and existing clients who have been caught in the market downdraft will be looking to get back on track.

So, this is a challenging time to be an advisor — and to sit in the editor’s chair at Investment Executive. I recently moved into this position following the departure of Tessa Wilmott, IE’s long-time editor-in-chief. I’m no stranger to IE, or to the ups and downs of business cycles that make this field challenging. I’ve been a business journalist for more than two decades, first as a writer and editor for the Financial Post and then, since 2002, as a senior member of the editorial staff at IE.

In economic times fair and foul, our main task at IE remains the same — to provide advisors with news and analysis of events and issues that are pertinent to their professional lives. IE is all about helping advisors do their jobs so that clients can derive the maximum benefit from the advice that they receive. Working with clients to construct a financial plan, provide for their children’s education or care for an ill relative — these are the sorts of things that explain why advisors love what they do. Many advisors, in turn, give back to their communities through volunteer and charitable activities.

If we at IE help in this overall process — especially in times when the economy heads south — then we will have done our job well.

IE’s success is built on a foundation that makes the timeliness and quality of our information the top priorities. We value our independence and are proud of the balance, objectivity and accuracy that have become the hallmarks of IE’s reporting. Adhering to anything less than these exacting standards would risk compromising the trust that advisors have in our work.

To enhance the delivery of our information to advisors, we have recently introduced a number of new platforms. Joining our website and e-newsletter, which provide immediate news for advisors, is a “virtual” version of the paper, accessible over the Internet. A relative newcomer, IE:TV features interviews with a wide range of experts in the financial services industry, covering everything from financial products to practice management. And we recently launched some mobile applications, giving advisors access to IE stories via their smartphones.

I look forward to hearing from you about any of IE’s initiatives, and I welcome any thoughts you might have about how we can improve. We will strive to keep the focus squarely on issues of importance to advisors. We hope to be a constant companion as you build your business in challenging times.

Tracy LeMay, Editor