Tactical Models, Trend Following, and the Mindset Shift That Changed My Practice

In this episode of The Advisors Fuel Podcast, Adam Koós flips the mic and joins George G on The Aligned Money Show for a candid conversation about managing money, market uncertainty, and the hard lessons that shaped his investing philosophy. He shares the story of how two major crashes nearly drove him out of the industry, and how discovering technical analysis and trend following not only saved his practice but reshaped the way he serves clients.

Adam pulls back the curtain on his hybrid investment approach, combining strategic models with tactical trend-following, and explains how he helps clients stick to their plans by building portfolios that actually align with their emotional risk tolerance, not just their target return.

From election-year volatility to model construction, advisor-client communication, and the real reason most clients abandon their plan, this one’s packed with insight for any advisor looking to sharpen their edge.

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro + Adam’s Surprise Karaoke Background
05:30 – What’s Top of Mind: Market Seasonality & the 2024 Election
07:30 – Should Clients Wait to Invest? (Advisor Framing Tips)
10:00 – Why Tactical Trend-Following Entered Adam’s Practice
13:00 – Tactical vs. Strategic Models: Construction and Purpose
16:00 – Analogies to Help Clients Understand Complex Strategy
18:00 – Why Clients Abandon Financial Plans
20:00 – The U.S. Debt Problem and Economic Outlook
22:00 – Advisor PSA: Most Clients Don’t Have a Plan Until 52
23:00 – Where to Start: Fiduciary Referrals and Building Trust

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Tactical Isn’t Timing: Trend following doesn’t predict the market—it adapts to it.
🔹 Realistic Portfolios = Sticking to the Plan: If clients abandon their portfolio, they were probably in the wrong one to begin with.
🔹 Election-Year Paralysis Is Real: Advisors must lead with calm, not predictions.
🔹 Strategic + Tactical = Flexibility + Discipline: Most clients benefit from a blended approach.
🔹 Use Analogies: Tornado sirens, playoffs, road trips—good metaphors lead to better client buy-in.
🔹 Technical Analysis Is a Differentiator: It’s not mainstream—but it’s powerful when used correctly.
🔹 Build Planning Conversations Sooner: Don’t let prospects wait until their 50s to start.
🔹 Risk Framing Beats Return Chasing: Align portfolios with emotional capacity, not projections.

Key Quotes from Adam Koós:

🗣 “Every seven tornado sirens, one touches down. That’s why tactical models matter.”
🗣 “Clients don’t abandon financial plans—they abandon portfolios that weren’t built for them.”
🗣 “I don’t have a crystal ball, and I’m honest about it. That’s what builds trust.”
🗣 “You can’t just diversify and hope. We need to engineer portfolios people won’t walk away from.”
🗣 “Trend following changed my practice because it gave me conviction in down markets.”

 

Connect with George and The Aligned Money Show:

Show Page: Aligned Money Show
LinkedIn: George G

Website: https://moneyalignmentacademy.com/

 

The ADRENALINE Advisor brand was born from helping a longtime friend reignite his practice. It’s since grown into a powerful community for driven advisors looking to sharpen their systems, elevate their client experience, and build businesses with serious momentum. Subscribe to get free training alerts, new podcast episodes, exclusive content, and more delivered straight to your inbox:

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