The turn in the US housing market has been sharp and swift.
Advisors seek to be incomparable, or better than the competition. But this marketing tactic creates a neck-and-neck race that they can’t win. Instead of being incomparable, choose to be uncomparable.
In April of this year, the FlexShares team at Northern Trust conducted a survey of more than 500 high-net worth investors who work with financial advisors. The survey asked investors a range of questions about ESG investing including, but not limited to: how much they understand it, why they are or aren’t interested, whether their advisors are recommending it, and how and where they’re learning about ESG investing. My guest today will explain how she and her team used the data to identify trends across different generations, genders, and wealth brackets when it comes to ESG investing.
Digital marketing is the center of any successful marketing strategy, and social media plays a significant role in that outreach. Kestra Financial’s Mark Schoenbeck EVP, advisor engagement hosts a panel of trailblazing financial advisors who have built leading businesses with strong social media strategies. Ted Jenkin, CEO of oXYgen Financial, Liz Hand, Co-Owner of Pleasant Wealth, and Derrick Jackson, owner of Ryleigh Wealth Management share their stories of how they grew their practices and tips for how you can too.
What are the most common scenarios that give rise to private foundations converting to DAFs (or making a thoughtful decision not to convert), while preserving the original donor’s intent and satisfying the administrative concerns of surviving family members?
I’m having a hard time training one of our newer advisors on how to be a good listener.
Our economy is in a will-they-won’t-they relationship with the next big recession.
For a generation of alienated techies, crypto's all-for-one ethos was its biggest draw. Now panic is spreading across this universe — and that same ethos is posing what may be the biggest threat yet to its survival.
To celebrate Pride Month, four PIMCO executives share their perspectives on inclusion and diversity in the workplace and the importance of visible representation.
Contrary to economic theory, in recent years funds with an ESG mandate have outperformed the broader market. New research shows that outperformance was caused by increased asset flows to so-called green stocks, raising the prospects for lower returns going forward.
While everyone’s financial journey is different, there are actionable steps advisors can take to empower their female clients’ financial futures and health.
Here’s how to position yourself for a lifetime of relationships by creating better touchpoints with a client’s family.
I am not implying that brokerage firms that pay their advisors via a “payout” are lying, but there is no shortage of misleading when it comes to payouts.
Microsoft Corp. introduced Viva Sales, a new program meant to connect its Office and video conferencing programs with customer-relationship management software — its own and that of rivals, a step that could help it garner revenue from Salesforce Inc. clients.
Here are a few important ideas for my readers on making cold pitches and trying to gain traction in the market with those you don’t know and who don’t know you.
Here’s how financial marketers can repurpose virtual meetings and video content.
There’s no way of knowing for certain whether a recession is imminent, but for many Americans, it’s sure starting to feel that way. According to Google, more people in the U.S. searched for the term “recession” than at any other time in the past two years.
With National 529 Day last month and graduation season underway, the cost of education is at the top of many people’s minds.
This article is relevant to financial professionals who are considering offering model portfolios to their clients.
It started with bonds. Now even collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) come in green.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether the marketing of the TerraUSD stablecoin before it crashed last month violated federal investor-protection regulations, according to a person familiar with the matter.
My staff told me that we have “become totally focused on AUM and fees. It isn’t a nice place to work anymore.”
The advisors who figure out how to work with Generation Z will take your wealthy Baby Boomer clients away. Stop rolling your eyes and listen to why.
To the brokerage firms that require their branch managers have their own production, did you really think you’d be the first in nearly 500 years to find a way to have your cake and eat it too?
Here's an interesting set of charts that will especially resonate with those of us who follow economic and market cycles. Imagine that five years ago you invested $10,000 in the S&P 500. How much would it be worth today, with dividends reinvested but adjusted for inflation? The purchasing power of your investment has increased to $15,778 for an annualized real return of 9.2%.
In January Goldman Sachs projected that the FOMC would increase the federal funds rate at every other meeting (each meeting is 6 weeks apart) starting with the March meeting.
I’ve done what many people dream of doing in their lives, but I’m ill at ease.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is concerned that retail investors are being duped by “greenwashing.”
How can you put the “know, like, trust” element of relationship marketing to work for your business at scale?
As an advocate of advisors working closely with tax preparers, and as a tax preparer myself, I hear the complaint of unreciprocated referrals all the time from financial advisors. Typically, I respond with questions such as…
You may think that going independent means you’ll have less time for client interactions—after all, you’ll have an office to run. Well, that’s not true for breakaway advisors who partner with the right firm. A recent Cerulli Associates study breaks down how much time breakaway advisors save by partnering with Commonwealth. You’ll get stats such as:
Take control of how you spend your time. Are you ready to make an informed decision about your independence? Get started today.
How are advisors coping with the new Department of Labor (DOL) rollover rules? Here are a dozen observations.
Summer is right around the corner, and traditionally that’s when families pack their bags and get away for a well-deserved vacation. Since this is the first summer travel season in three years that feels like the before times, airlines and airports are bracing for what is expected to be a particularly busy three months.
The widespread adoption of remote work across the US has left local employers learning to compete with out-of-state companies offering big-city salaries.
Cryptocurrencies are the exact opposite of a prudent investment: They’re volatile, have little practical use beyond speculation and crime, often get lost or stolen, and lack the real-world cash flows that underpin the values of stocks and bonds.
He bullies team members, the other partners and most of our vendors.
RIAs can be paid to service trails-paying annuities without a broker-dealer.
What can you do about an overly restrictive compliance department? Or a non-responsive compliance department? Or one where you get different answers depending on who you ask?
There’s no escaping the Federal Reserve (Fed) when it comes to investing these days.
Since the global financial crisis, assets in private credit have grown exponentially as investors search for yield while protecting against inflation and rising interest rates.
It can take three years before a niche focus takes off for your financial advisory business. This article covers seven marketing steps for year one to ensure you lay a solid foundation for success.
Dover Corporation is a diversified holding company serving more than 200 product categories in the industrial, energy and manufacturing industries.
John Paul Lech, Lead Manager of the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, explains the potential value that unique real estate equities can offer emerging market-growth portfolios.
Is it odd some newer people would have such negative things to say about me?
Whenever I surf television cable news channels, I see the plethora of ads for financial planning. But they are run by companies that sell financial products or are owned by huge insurance companies.
Advisors face an uphill battle to get attendance to their events.
Since the 1990s, the CalPERS sold LTC policies to its residents. The lawsuit over claims related to those policies illustrates the dangers clients face with government-sponsored insurance programs.
Feeling a bit cheated when you look down at your plate? It’s not just a figment of your imagination — portions at US restaurants are indeed getting smaller. Call it shrinkflation: when sizes shrink, but you’re paying the same price, or sometimes even more, for the meal or product.
Problems occur when a market shift reduces investment opportunities after a period when investor capital has been scaled up. The current climate portends such a shift.
The issue is that she doesn’t listen. She interrupts clients.
I don’t care how many PhDs are going to argue against me; direct indexing is Wall Street’s attempt at squeezing more fees out of the America public using advisors as the pawns.
While I am not a practice management guru, an experience I had this past year warrants sharing. it led to adding value to your clients in a way few of you do.
The new Investment Advisor Rep CE requirement isn’t just more training required by regulators; it’s an opportunity for advisors to start or continue on the right path with clients.
Does conducting your firm’s internal annual review have to cause annual stress, work overload, and a headache?
Tractor Supply Company is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the US, offering a range of products for home, land, pets, and animals—everything except tractors.
Advisor Perspectives has announced its Venerated Voices™ awards for commentaries published in Q1 2022.
The major market indices finished mixed this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.63%. The S&P 500 Stock Index rose 0.40%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.02%. The Russell 2000 small capitalization index lost 0.28% this week.
LinkedIn statistics show that members who include a professional photo receive 21x more profile views and up to 36x more messages.
In the first quarter of 2022, financial markets abruptly reversed course and volatility increased significantly.
Dutch power company TenneT Holding BV sold 3.85 billion euros ($4.06 billion) of green debt across four maturities Tuesday, to fund greener electricity grids across Europe. It’s the largest deal for the environmental debt from a company, topping previous efforts from Honda Motor Co. and Engie SA, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Whether it’s because of tight Covid restrictions, separation from family or the frustration of closed borders, a growing number of people living abroad have made the choice to move closer to home. In the process, they’re facing the reality of inflation and pandemic-related transportation snags, not to mention the possibility of lower-paying jobs and higher taxes in their new location.
We have a woman on our team who seems to enjoy stirring things up.
Let’s look at 10 must-haves for financial advisor websites.
As of this writing, Russian forces are reorganizing in eastern Ukraine, and fighting is well into its second month. Supply chain disruptions continue, gas prices are reaching all-time highs, inflation has become a constant concern, and some analysts are predicting that the Fed will aggressively raise rates.
From organizing your closet to deep cleaning your kitchen, we're sure there's plenty for you to do. But we've got one more item to add to your list – spring clean your business plan.
Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 have fallen for four consecutive weeks, and the S&P’s 8.8% drop last month marked its worst April performance since 1970. The tech-heavy Nasdaq slumped 13% for its worst month since the financial crisis in 2008.
Regular readers of WisdomTree blogs know that we are firm believers in both asset class and risk factor diversification when building our Model Portfolios.
Here is the just released our 2022 T3/Inside Information Software Survey. It ranks, by market share, the leading software solutions in advisory-firm tech stacks in 35 different categories.
Forward-thinking advisors have been searching for and employing analytics very carefully. This series will explore some of these metrics, along with their benefits and pitfalls. Today’s topic is capital markets assumptions.
Firms often consider launching multiple niches rather than focusing on just one. Though sometimes successful, this approach can dissipate your marketing efforts. This article offers guidelines to determine whether having multiple niches is for you.
Few corners of the financial universe have been surrounded by as much marketing froth as ESG, which by some estimates represents more than $40 trillion in assets. According to Morningstar, genuine ESG funds held about $2.7 trillion in managed assets at the end of the fourth quarter.
We were planning on an in-person event, but some of our team members were exposed to people who tested negative. How are firms solving for this issue now that we are not really back and still getting sick?
I will present several studies that explain the broad increase in online video usage, along with “how-to” instructions.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler wants to slash the amount of time that traders have to report many bond transactions as part of a bid to increase visibility into fixed-income markets.
Here are five ways to win new business and clients for life by creating urgency, so your prospects want to create a financial plan now with you.
“Banks are forever going to be trying to play catchup,” said Michael Moro, CEO of digital currency prime brokerage Genesis. “Crypto is going to move way faster than banks can. We have every bank in the world pretty much having some sort of crypto, blockchain working group.”
Your firm’s digital messaging and visual expression must all align with your ideal clients’ needs, goals and objectives. Here is how four top advisors achieved that goal.
Hire before you need help. You’ll win no awards for all the extra work you’re doing.
Our words help us dress up or dress down for the occasion.
An outdated website will tarnish your brand and cause you to miss opportunities to grow your reputation, reach, and revenue.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on strategies to become more time efficient. Since that time, I have been inundated with advisors asking questions such as…
Many of you are struggling to decide whether you should breakaway and form your own RIA. I confronted the same decision many years ago. Here’s my story.
Depending upon the annuity that is being recommended and its purpose, your discovery process should include these questions. This article is written for clients and can be forwarded to them using our Premium Membership Service.
Comparing advisors to big-rig truck drivers makes more sense that you think, once you consider the eerie similarities in their business models.
Does the scenario below sound likely? If so, you are among the thousands of RIAs who are likely to lose significant assets over the next decade.
The Nasdaq Fund Network (NFN) recently announced the launch of model portfolios, separately managed accounts (SMAs) and unified managed accounts (UMAs) on the platform. The registration of model portfolios and managed accounts on NFN make them searchable on market data platforms, financial web portals and other similar media. Eversheds Sutherland published a whitepaper describing NFN's offerings, regulations in the space, and how the work is in accordance with applicable provisions of the New Marketing Rule and relevant SEC guidance.
Give yourself a year to implement a marketing plan, and it will promote procrastination and won’t be nimble. Instead of planning out your advisory firm’s marketing tactics for an entire year, create a plan that spans just 12 weeks.
For years, small accounts have been overcharged and underserved. I’m encouraged, however, by what I see some advisors doing, I wish the rest of the profession were inspired to similarly elevate the value provided for the price charged small clients.
Many advisors don’t understand risk. They apply different standards when it comes to assessing risk in their business and personal lives.
When does researching someone’s background and looking for ways to connect become uncomfortable for a person, wherein they might accuse us of stalking them?
Practice Management
Home Sellers Are Slashing Prices in Sudden Halt to Pandemic Boom
The turn in the US housing market has been sharp and swift.
Incomparable or Uncomparable, Which are You?
Advisors seek to be incomparable, or better than the competition. But this marketing tactic creates a neck-and-neck race that they can’t win. Instead of being incomparable, choose to be uncomparable.
What HNW Investors are Saying About ESG
In April of this year, the FlexShares team at Northern Trust conducted a survey of more than 500 high-net worth investors who work with financial advisors. The survey asked investors a range of questions about ESG investing including, but not limited to: how much they understand it, why they are or aren’t interested, whether their advisors are recommending it, and how and where they’re learning about ESG investing. My guest today will explain how she and her team used the data to identify trends across different generations, genders, and wealth brackets when it comes to ESG investing.
Top Advisors Reveal How They Mastered Social Media
Digital marketing is the center of any successful marketing strategy, and social media plays a significant role in that outreach. Kestra Financial’s Mark Schoenbeck EVP, advisor engagement hosts a panel of trailblazing financial advisors who have built leading businesses with strong social media strategies. Ted Jenkin, CEO of oXYgen Financial, Liz Hand, Co-Owner of Pleasant Wealth, and Derrick Jackson, owner of Ryleigh Wealth Management share their stories of how they grew their practices and tips for how you can too.
Common Scenarios for Transitioning a Private Foundation to a Donor Advised Fund
What are the most common scenarios that give rise to private foundations converting to DAFs (or making a thoughtful decision not to convert), while preserving the original donor’s intent and satisfying the administrative concerns of surviving family members?
When Advisors are Bad Listeners
I’m having a hard time training one of our newer advisors on how to be a good listener.
Some Unsolicited Recession Survival Advice to Gen Z
Our economy is in a will-they-won’t-they relationship with the next big recession.
A $2 Trillion Free-Fall Rattles Crypto to the Core
For a generation of alienated techies, crypto's all-for-one ethos was its biggest draw. Now panic is spreading across this universe — and that same ethos is posing what may be the biggest threat yet to its survival.
Power of Representation: the 'Us'es'
To celebrate Pride Month, four PIMCO executives share their perspectives on inclusion and diversity in the workplace and the importance of visible representation.
An Ominous Sign for ESG Investors
Contrary to economic theory, in recent years funds with an ESG mandate have outperformed the broader market. New research shows that outperformance was caused by increased asset flows to so-called green stocks, raising the prospects for lower returns going forward.
The Future of Female Financial Empowerment is Today
While everyone’s financial journey is different, there are actionable steps advisors can take to empower their female clients’ financial futures and health.
Five Touchpoints to Build Family Relationships
Here’s how to position yourself for a lifetime of relationships by creating better touchpoints with a client’s family.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Advisor Payouts
I am not implying that brokerage firms that pay their advisors via a “payout” are lying, but there is no shortage of misleading when it comes to payouts.
Microsoft Targets Salesforce Clients With New Tools to Aid Sales Reps
Microsoft Corp. introduced Viva Sales, a new program meant to connect its Office and video conferencing programs with customer-relationship management software — its own and that of rivals, a step that could help it garner revenue from Salesforce Inc. clients.
The Doomed-to-Fail Marketing Tactic
Here are a few important ideas for my readers on making cold pitches and trying to gain traction in the market with those you don’t know and who don’t know you.
The Next Generation of Video Marketing
Here’s how financial marketers can repurpose virtual meetings and video content.
Are We Headed for Recession? Gold and Bitcoin Could Offer Some Cover
There’s no way of knowing for certain whether a recession is imminent, but for many Americans, it’s sure starting to feel that way. According to Google, more people in the U.S. searched for the term “recession” than at any other time in the past two years.
Saving For College: Start Small, But Start Now
With National 529 Day last month and graduation season underway, the cost of education is at the top of many people’s minds.
The Current and Future State of Model Portfolios
This article is relevant to financial professionals who are considering offering model portfolios to their clients.
Does This CDO Come in Green? With ESG Everywhere, Buyers Beware
It started with bonds. Now even collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) come in green.
SEC Investigating UST Stablecoin Blowup in Fresh Threat to Terra
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether the marketing of the TerraUSD stablecoin before it crashed last month violated federal investor-protection regulations, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Are We Too Focused on Making Money?
My staff told me that we have “become totally focused on AUM and fees. It isn’t a nice place to work anymore.”
How to Smash the Competition Using Advice-Only Planning
The advisors who figure out how to work with Generation Z will take your wealthy Baby Boomer clients away. Stop rolling your eyes and listen to why.
Ask Brad: The Double-Edged Sword of a Producing Branch Manager
To the brokerage firms that require their branch managers have their own production, did you really think you’d be the first in nearly 500 years to find a way to have your cake and eat it too?
The Latest Look at the Total Return Roller Coaster
Here's an interesting set of charts that will especially resonate with those of us who follow economic and market cycles. Imagine that five years ago you invested $10,000 in the S&P 500. How much would it be worth today, with dividends reinvested but adjusted for inflation? The purchasing power of your investment has increased to $15,778 for an annualized real return of 9.2%.
FOMC Inflation Test Coming
In January Goldman Sachs projected that the FOMC would increase the federal funds rate at every other meeting (each meeting is 6 weeks apart) starting with the March meeting.
How to Navigate the Crossroads of Success
I’ve done what many people dream of doing in their lives, but I’m ill at ease.
SEC Proposals for ESG Ignore 80 Years of Financial Science
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is concerned that retail investors are being duped by “greenwashing.”
Relationship Marketing: Scaling the “Know, Like, Trust” Factor
How can you put the “know, like, trust” element of relationship marketing to work for your business at scale?
Advisor Tax Mistake #2 – Not Getting Referrals from COIs
As an advocate of advisors working closely with tax preparers, and as a tax preparer myself, I hear the complaint of unreciprocated referrals all the time from financial advisors. Typically, I respond with questions such as…
Breakaway Implications: The Impact Your Firm Partner Can Have on Efficiency
You may think that going independent means you’ll have less time for client interactions—after all, you’ll have an office to run. Well, that’s not true for breakaway advisors who partner with the right firm. A recent Cerulli Associates study breaks down how much time breakaway advisors save by partnering with Commonwealth. You’ll get stats such as:
Take control of how you spend your time. Are you ready to make an informed decision about your independence? Get started today.
How to Handle the DOL’s New IRA Rollover Rule
How are advisors coping with the new Department of Labor (DOL) rollover rules? Here are a dozen observations.
3 Airline Stocks to Consider as We Head into the Busy Summer Travel Season
Summer is right around the corner, and traditionally that’s when families pack their bags and get away for a well-deserved vacation. Since this is the first summer travel season in three years that feels like the before times, airlines and airports are bracing for what is expected to be a particularly busy three months.
Remote Work Takes Poaching to Another Level in Smaller US Cities
The widespread adoption of remote work across the US has left local employers learning to compete with out-of-state companies offering big-city salaries.
Crypto in Retirement Accounts? Are You Kidding?
Cryptocurrencies are the exact opposite of a prudent investment: They’re volatile, have little practical use beyond speculation and crime, often get lost or stolen, and lack the real-world cash flows that underpin the values of stocks and bonds.
My Boss is a Mean SOB
He bullies team members, the other partners and most of our vendors.
How Breakaway RIAs Can Retain Annuity Trails
RIAs can be paid to service trails-paying annuities without a broker-dealer.
Ask Brad: How to Fire Your Compliance Department
What can you do about an overly restrictive compliance department? Or a non-responsive compliance department? Or one where you get different answers depending on who you ask?
Money’s Many And Problematic Definitions
There’s no escaping the Federal Reserve (Fed) when it comes to investing these days.
Not All Private Credit Is Created Equal
Since the global financial crisis, assets in private credit have grown exponentially as investors search for yield while protecting against inflation and rising interest rates.
The Year-One Niche Marketing Plan for Advisors
It can take three years before a niche focus takes off for your financial advisory business. This article covers seven marketing steps for year one to ensure you lay a solid foundation for success.
Spotlight Dover Corporation: Engineering Digital Industrial Production
Dover Corporation is a diversified holding company serving more than 200 product categories in the industrial, energy and manufacturing industries.
Elevate Your Portfolio
John Paul Lech, Lead Manager of the Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Fund, explains the potential value that unique real estate equities can offer emerging market-growth portfolios.
It’s Not You, It’s Me
Is it odd some newer people would have such negative things to say about me?
Beware of Faux Financial Planning
Whenever I surf television cable news channels, I see the plethora of ads for financial planning. But they are run by companies that sell financial products or are owned by huge insurance companies.
Rock the Event Invite for 300% More Attendees
Advisors face an uphill battle to get attendance to their events.
Lessons from CalPERS LTC Insurance Crisis
Since the 1990s, the CalPERS sold LTC policies to its residents. The lawsuit over claims related to those policies illustrates the dangers clients face with government-sponsored insurance programs.
Fewer Nuggets, Smaller Salads: Shrinkflation Hits US Restaurant Diners
Feeling a bit cheated when you look down at your plate? It’s not just a figment of your imagination — portions at US restaurants are indeed getting smaller. Call it shrinkflation: when sizes shrink, but you’re paying the same price, or sometimes even more, for the meal or product.
Cathie Wood and the Sound of a Changing Market
Problems occur when a market shift reduces investment opportunities after a period when investor capital has been scaled up. The current climate portends such a shift.
How to Be a Great Listener
The issue is that she doesn’t listen. She interrupts clients.
19 Reasons to Run Like the Wind from Direct Indexing!
I don’t care how many PhDs are going to argue against me; direct indexing is Wall Street’s attempt at squeezing more fees out of the America public using advisors as the pawns.
Ask Brad: Adding Client Value in a Way Few Advisors Do
While I am not a practice management guru, an experience I had this past year warrants sharing. it led to adding value to your clients in a way few of you do.
What Is the New IAR CE and Why Do We Need It?
The new Investment Advisor Rep CE requirement isn’t just more training required by regulators; it’s an opportunity for advisors to start or continue on the right path with clients.
A Checklist to Improve Your Annual Review Process
Does conducting your firm’s internal annual review have to cause annual stress, work overload, and a headache?
Spotlight Tractor Supply: A Passion for Rural Life “Out Here”
Tractor Supply Company is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the US, offering a range of products for home, land, pets, and animals—everything except tractors.
Venerated Voices™ Q1 2022 Rankings
Advisor Perspectives has announced its Venerated Voices™ awards for commentaries published in Q1 2022.
OnlyFans Offers a Lesson for Protesting Historically High Home Appraisals
The major market indices finished mixed this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.63%. The S&P 500 Stock Index rose 0.40%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.02%. The Russell 2000 small capitalization index lost 0.28% this week.
Eight Tips for a Great Headshot
LinkedIn statistics show that members who include a professional photo receive 21x more profile views and up to 36x more messages.
Grey Owl Capital's Q1 Letter
In the first quarter of 2022, financial markets abruptly reversed course and volatility increased significantly.
Jumbo Green Deal Wakes Up ESG Market
Dutch power company TenneT Holding BV sold 3.85 billion euros ($4.06 billion) of green debt across four maturities Tuesday, to fund greener electricity grids across Europe. It’s the largest deal for the environmental debt from a company, topping previous efforts from Honda Motor Co. and Engie SA, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Pandemic-Weary Expats Are Moving Home, and the Costs Are Piling Up
Whether it’s because of tight Covid restrictions, separation from family or the frustration of closed borders, a growing number of people living abroad have made the choice to move closer to home. In the process, they’re facing the reality of inflation and pandemic-related transportation snags, not to mention the possibility of lower-paying jobs and higher taxes in their new location.
How to Prevent Office Gossip
We have a woman on our team who seems to enjoy stirring things up.
10 Advisor Website Must-Haves
Let’s look at 10 must-haves for financial advisor websites.
A Different Kind of Volatility
As of this writing, Russian forces are reorganizing in eastern Ukraine, and fighting is well into its second month. Supply chain disruptions continue, gas prices are reaching all-time highs, inflation has become a constant concern, and some analysts are predicting that the Fed will aggressively raise rates.
Spring Clean Your Business Plan
From organizing your closet to deep cleaning your kitchen, we're sure there's plenty for you to do. But we've got one more item to add to your list – spring clean your business plan.
Retail Traders Respond to Selloff By Buying Oil, Options and Meme Stocks
Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 have fallen for four consecutive weeks, and the S&P’s 8.8% drop last month marked its worst April performance since 1970. The tech-heavy Nasdaq slumped 13% for its worst month since the financial crisis in 2008.
The WisdomTree Q2 2022 Asset Class and Risk Factor Review and Outlook
Regular readers of WisdomTree blogs know that we are firm believers in both asset class and risk factor diversification when building our Model Portfolios.
This Year’s Top-Ranked Software Products
Here is the just released our 2022 T3/Inside Information Software Survey. It ranks, by market share, the leading software solutions in advisory-firm tech stacks in 35 different categories.
Using Analytics in Wealth Management: The Good and Bad (Part 2)
Forward-thinking advisors have been searching for and employing analytics very carefully. This series will explore some of these metrics, along with their benefits and pitfalls. Today’s topic is capital markets assumptions.
Should Advisors Have More Than One Niche?
Firms often consider launching multiple niches rather than focusing on just one. Though sometimes successful, this approach can dissipate your marketing efforts. This article offers guidelines to determine whether having multiple niches is for you.
Fund Managers Doing Bogus ESG ‘Engagement’ Are Put on Notice
Few corners of the financial universe have been surrounded by as much marketing froth as ESG, which by some estimates represents more than $40 trillion in assets. According to Morningstar, genuine ESG funds held about $2.7 trillion in managed assets at the end of the fourth quarter.
How to Safely Return to In-Person Events
We were planning on an in-person event, but some of our team members were exposed to people who tested negative. How are firms solving for this issue now that we are not really back and still getting sick?
Why You Should Incorporate Video into Your Marketing Strategy
I will present several studies that explain the broad increase in online video usage, along with “how-to” instructions.
SEC Chief Floats Slashing Bond-Trade Reporting to 1 Minute
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler wants to slash the amount of time that traders have to report many bond transactions as part of a bid to increase visibility into fixed-income markets.
Five Ways to Create Urgency and Win Planning Business
Here are five ways to win new business and clients for life by creating urgency, so your prospects want to create a financial plan now with you.
Wall Street Firms Make Crypto Push to Catch Up With ‘Cool Kids’
“Banks are forever going to be trying to play catchup,” said Michael Moro, CEO of digital currency prime brokerage Genesis. “Crypto is going to move way faster than banks can. We have every bank in the world pretty much having some sort of crypto, blockchain working group.”
How Four Firms Built Powerful Digital Brands
Your firm’s digital messaging and visual expression must all align with your ideal clients’ needs, goals and objectives. Here is how four top advisors achieved that goal.
Stop Acting Like You Can Do Everything
Hire before you need help. You’ll win no awards for all the extra work you’re doing.
How Our Vocabulary Shapes Our Client Relationships
Our words help us dress up or dress down for the occasion.
The Elements of Building a Great Website
An outdated website will tarnish your brand and cause you to miss opportunities to grow your reputation, reach, and revenue.
Improve Your Productivity
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on strategies to become more time efficient. Since that time, I have been inundated with advisors asking questions such as…
A Personal Story About Starting Your Own RIA
Many of you are struggling to decide whether you should breakaway and form your own RIA. I confronted the same decision many years ago. Here’s my story.
How to Think About Annuities
Depending upon the annuity that is being recommended and its purpose, your discovery process should include these questions. This article is written for clients and can be forwarded to them using our Premium Membership Service.
Ask Brad: Are You Really a Big-Rig Truck Driver?
Comparing advisors to big-rig truck drivers makes more sense that you think, once you consider the eerie similarities in their business models.
Why RIAs Are Going to Lose in Retirement-Income Planning
Does the scenario below sound likely? If so, you are among the thousands of RIAs who are likely to lose significant assets over the next decade.
Memorandum regarding SMAs/UMAs/Model Portfolios and the Nasdaq Fund Network
The Nasdaq Fund Network (NFN) recently announced the launch of model portfolios, separately managed accounts (SMAs) and unified managed accounts (UMAs) on the platform. The registration of model portfolios and managed accounts on NFN make them searchable on market data platforms, financial web portals and other similar media. Eversheds Sutherland published a whitepaper describing NFN's offerings, regulations in the space, and how the work is in accordance with applicable provisions of the New Marketing Rule and relevant SEC guidance.
The 12-Week Advisor Marketing Plan
Give yourself a year to implement a marketing plan, and it will promote procrastination and won’t be nimble. Instead of planning out your advisory firm’s marketing tactics for an entire year, create a plan that spans just 12 weeks.
How Much Should Advisors Charge Small Accounts?
For years, small accounts have been overcharged and underserved. I’m encouraged, however, by what I see some advisors doing, I wish the rest of the profession were inspired to similarly elevate the value provided for the price charged small clients.
Risky Lessons
Many advisors don’t understand risk. They apply different standards when it comes to assessing risk in their business and personal lives.
How to Research a Prospect Without Stalking Them
When does researching someone’s background and looking for ways to connect become uncomfortable for a person, wherein they might accuse us of stalking them?