Millennials with high earnings potential represent a promising market for advisors looking to add new clients, according to TD Ameritrade’s Millionaires in the Making survey released today.

There are 80 million millennials and attracting this generation may be critical to the investment advisor business, according to TD Ameritrade. Fewer than 10 percent of current advisor clients are under 40 and half are over 60, in addition millennials are expected to inherit trillions of dollars from their baby boomer parents.

For the survey, TD Ameritrade divided millennials, which TD defined as those between the ages of 18 and 39, into three sub-groups:

• High-net-worth millennials, those with more than $500,000 to invest, are most likely working with an advisor, with 63 percent retaining their family’s advisor.

• Potential high-net-worth millennials have less than $500,000 to invest and earn more than $150,000 a year. Sixty-seven percent do not work with an advisor and over half said they would ask a colleague or friend for an advisor referral.

• Mass-affluent millennials, those with less than $500,000 to invest and earn less than $150,000 a year, seek financial guidance mainly from family and friends.

“Our latest research shows RIAs would be well-served pursuing young investors who may not have great wealth yet, but who have high earnings potential and are eager to work with a professional advisor,” said Tom Nally, president of TD Ameritrade Institutional.

The survey found that nearly 70 percent of potential high-net-worth millennials want an advisor to help manage their finances.

They prefer to communicate with an advisor by e-mail and expect advisors to be accessible and immediately responsive.

The main concern of this group is having enough money stashed away for a “comfortable” retirement. Additional concerns include outliving their savings, needing to delay retirement, and paying health-care expenses.

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