Navigating short-term risks is paramount, but we view the backdrop as favorable for income investors over the medium term.

Here are the key characteristics that distinguish highly successful digital-marketing practices.

The new political landscape offers opportunities for investors who adapt their strategy.

While getting into a groove with your social media plan may take some trial-and-error, there are some crucial commandments to maximize your potential and reach.

When it comes to reading things online, we have a selective attention span; this is why it’s so important to optimize subject lines in both blog posts and your email marketing.

Global Allocation Fund portfolio manager Russ Koesterich discusses the appeal of the middle area when choosing between growth versus value stocks.

Despite the worst economic and health crisis in generations, U.S. consumers are defying the pessimists.

As portfolio manager Russ Koesterich discusses, negative real interest rates help explain why gold is moving more in tandem with stocks these days.

Our panelists will discuss how a simple healthcare conversation with your clients can help retain current clients and attract new clients to your practice.
Some important questions they will answer:
-What is the impact of your clients’ poor Medicare decisions on your practice?
- How can you be a true quarterback for your clients and increase your competitive edge?
- Do you have the tools and resources you need to model the impacts of healthcare expenses and events for your clients?
- Learn how and when to have these important conversations with your clients … before your competition does.

Rick Rieder and team highlight the critical facts that will drive the markets in the year ahead, as well as the myths that could mislead investors.

The pandemic has changed investor behavior. It has altered the qualities and services investors look for in a financial advisor.

Russ Koesterich, portfolio manager of the BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, explores what’s driving the continued strength of the U.S. consumer.

I was recently told, “I love Medicare 101, but I’m ready for a Medicare ‘unhinged’ – the real stuff that advisors should know to the core and not all of the usual stuff we hear.”

Russ Koesterich, portfolio manager of the Global Allocation Fund, explains how history is not repeating itself with the recent sharp rise in tech stocks.

How do the ultra-wealthy find financial advisors? What are they looking for, and how can your firm use that knowledge to cater to this hyper-specific audience?

My experience is that 80% of the people who should be making some change will tune out the entire Medicare hoopla that the annual election period (AEP) brings.

With cyclical stocks rebounding, portfolio manager Russ Koesterich emphasizes that being discerning is key.

This week, we continue with a bullish tilt toward equity positioning as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) and the QQQ Trust (QQQ) trade at new all-time highs.

Prospects find your firm’s website with a Google search such as, “financial advisor near me.” But what happens when you’re not showing up in those searches?

This week we drill down on the trends in the US equity market as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) puts the February highs in its sights. The trends across the major market ETFs remain to the upside.

Despite the drumbeat of narratives about the reversal of the growth trade and even some advocating for outperformance on the part of small cap value, the bigger picture trends have not changed.

The odds of a stagflation environment are continuing to rise in our opinion. Over the past few weeks/months we have made this view clear by looking at both sides of the coin, growth and inflation. Over that time, the evidence continued to mount in favor of our view.

It’s the built-in online tool you may have never considered a business advantage: Google My Business. Before you write it off, consider these statistics…

The start to earnings season was not all that exciting as the banks were met with mixed reviews that saw the trading shops put up outsized profits thanks to the explosion of volatility in the quarter and the Fed backstopping the credit markets.

It is safe to say that expectations are low as the bottom up consensus for the S&P 500 calls for a year over year earnings decline of about 45% in the 2Q. This would be the largest year over year decline since 2008. But that is well understood at this point.

The market does not care about our opinion regarding what it “should” do. Right now the market does not seem to care that COVID-19 cases and positive test rates are on the rise in the US. What the market cares about now is that economic data has been better than expected...

Be wary of these five common copywriting mistakes I see advisors make on their websites.

After years working with those age 65-plus in their transition to the Medicare system, I’ll share some ideas and tips that will lead to some great conversations between you and your clients – and, likely some added revenue for your practice.

As we reach the half-way point of what has been an extremely eventful year in asset markets, this week we take a step back and assess the current landscape from a momentum perspective. Where is the momentum and how likely is it to persist?

Rick Rieder, Russ Brownback and Trevor Slaven contend that in the tug-of-war between the considerable economic damage stemming from the coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns, and the fiscal and monetary policy responses put in place, the latter factor is being underestimated by markets. Further, the instruments used by investors in previous years won’t be what’s required for the time ahead.

The unprecedented amount of fiscal and monetary stimulus that has been showered on the US and global economies has the potential to lead to inflation...an environment of generally rising prices. Unfortunately, this could be playing out in an environment of little to no economic growth.

I’m sharing and analyzing five examples of great visual content from financial advisors.

If Chairman Powell’s comments are interpreted as signaling the likelihood of anemic economic growth over the next two years, we would expect the prevailing trends (growth over value; large over small) to reassert themselves shortly.

Russ discusses why consumption has held up, and how the pandemic has accelerated long-term trends.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this week’s note largely serves as a set-up piece. The main market ETFs are all currently overbought after making dramatic rallies from the March 23rd lows. The strength has been largely driven by a rotation into the more cyclical areas of the market...

In normal times, COBRA coverage presents challenges for those who are eligible for Medicare. Throw in COVID-19 and your clients face perilous decisions about their health care.

In the current market environment, both the bulls and the bears have data points on which they can stake their case. In this note we highlight both sides of the argument and then look at each asset class in an objective way to get a sense for what the market truly believes.

Seasons of adversity reveal our shortcomings. Advisory businesses with the following qualities have the best chance of not only surviving the pandemic but finding ways to thrive in spite of it.

The narrative moves on with investors focused on economic re-openings and the path to a COVID-19 vaccine. We have written at length about how while many think that the market is disconnected from the economy, we do not think that is the case.

Russ highlights the surprising resilience of technology stocks this year.

Rick Rieder, Russ Brownback and Trevor Slaven contend that even as markets were rocked by uncertainty as the coronavirus lockdowns began, the seeds of stability were sown in the massive fiscal and monetary policy response. The key is to know how to manage through this period for the long haul.

Russ explains why Chinese equities should still be a core holding.

To improve your website, I’m sharing the top five elements the highest converting advisor websites have in common.

You may not need to be active on every social media platform. It depends on the niche you target.

Your clients are typically blindsided before they come to me. They believe that Medicare is “free” or is largely subsidized because, “I paid into the system my whole life and now I have to pay what?”

Russ discusses the surprising strength in momentum stocks, and why it may continue.

As Russ explains, bonds may not be providing significant income, but still offer a hedge against equity risk.

This is the best time for you to double down on your marketing efforts and fully embrace a digital communications process.

There is a general perception that expensive equipment and expertise are required to create successful video content, but that is simply not true. Here are three simple steps to create professional-looking videos.

It was big news last fall when Joe Namath was on the airwaves promoting his “excellent, free” Medicare plan. Here’s what to tell your clients when they ask about it.