The high level of sentiment means Americans may make this a blockbuster holiday shopping season. While that is good news for retailers and corporate profits, it may also result in consumers straying from their budgets and savings goals. With that in mind, advisors may be tasked with encouraging clients to avoid excessive spending.

In other instances, clients who have experienced salary increases may be in a different scenario—that is, they may need assistance with assessing how much they can increase their holiday spending while sticking with their savings goals. The challenge for advisors, of course, is to avoid coming across as holiday scrooges when prodding clients to stick with their budgets.

The issue of determining appropriate spending levels transcends income classes as highly compensated clients may be tempted to splurge on luxury goods and individuals with more modest means may also be tempted to ramp up their spending during the holiday season. Either way, excessive spending can result in racking up credit card debt or having to curtail deferrals to savings programs, both of which can be detrimental to long-terms financial goals.

At the same time, many of the reasons that consumers are more confident about their finances don’t translate into increased spending power. Equities, for example, are typically earmarked for retirement and home values are, of course, locked up in real estate.

In a similar matter, savings in gasoline bills are likely to be minimal, with research firm IHS estimating that the average driver will save only $500 annually at filling stations. Many Americans, furthermore, haven’t seen substantial salary increases over the past few years, so their spending power hasn’t improved.

For advisors, increased consumer sentiment is an appealing opportunity to reach out to clients. While reaching out to clients specifically to focus on holiday shopping may be awkward, it is a good topic to discuss when contacting clients for portfolio updates or other routine matters. Advisors can mention that many consumers are feeling optimistic and then ask their clients if they, too, have become more confident in their own finances.

When clients say they are feeling better about their finances, advisors can explain that increased optimism may result in increased spending. Advisors should then offer to revisit their clients’ finances, including salaries, to determine if budgets can be increased.

In some cases, client’s salaries may have improved, so advisors can offer to help assess if spending levels can be increased while also illustrating the merits of using the extra compensation to boost savings rates. In some cases, however, clients’ finances will have not improved, so advisors should be prepared to caution individuals against racking up credit card debt. In the process, advisors should illustrate how high interest rates charged by credit cards make financing purchases with consumer debt highly unappealing.

Advisors should also consider using increased consumer sentiment as a blog topic or webpage posting. The topic is particularly appealing for advisors seeking to develop content that will differentiate their practices from competitors. Indeed, many advisors already feature market commentaries, so discussions of capital markets may not serve to differentiate firms, unlike more novel lifestyle or financial planning topics.

In writing about consumer sentiment, advisors can discuss the reasons why consumer optimism has improved and explain that Americans’ favorable view of the economy may result in high levels of holiday shopping, which can be detrimental to savings rates, especially for individuals who haven’t experienced increases in their salaries.

The web text can then make many of the points that advisors would discuss with clients. For example, advisors can discuss the impact of high credit card balances on individuals’ finances or the impact of reducing deferrals into investment accounts in order to pay for a shopping spree.