Investor services marketers have largely relied on trigger and event-based marketing tactics. The problem is these practices catch up with investors after important changes in their lives. Many of life’s major transitions won’t come as a surprise — many singles find partners; couples may have a child, and then maybe more; children go off to college or out on their own; parents become empty-nesters and look forward to retirement. An investor’s current stage in life is just one point on a trajectory. Understanding where people are now in their lives enables a reasonable prediction of where they are headed, and where they are headed contributes as much or more as their current situation when it comes to their investment interests and behaviors.