Since its launch in November, ChatGPT has been a smash hit. To explore the benefits of airline deregulation in the U.S., we sought the help of the AI content generator.
Slowly but surely, investment bankers from New York to London are chipping away at the tens of billions of dollars in leveraged buyout debt that remains famously stuck on their balance sheets.
Here are six steps to implement multiple niches, bring in new clients, and accelerate their growth goals.
For Americans with a New Year’s resolution to trade in their gas furnace or water heater for climate-friendly heat pumps, a word of caution: Generous Inflation Reduction Act rebates for home electrification took effect on Jan. 1, but they won’t actually be available to homeowners until year’s end or 2024 at the earliest, according the US Department of Energy.
Older advisors need to step aside and make room for the up and comers.
Anne Walsh, Chief Investment Officer for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, joined Bloomberg TV in Davos to discuss the outlook for credit as recession nears.
If you are competing with the best of the best, how do you rise above the competition?
Do you fear looking back at your career one day and asking yourself “what if” you had made a move to independence?
We turn fantastic conversations with clients into risk profiles, performance reports, and various financial documents that have little meaning to them and their values.
Paying down student debt or saving for retirement can seem like mutually exclusive goals. A little-known workplace benefit could soon allow more workers to do both.
To determine the places where affluent Americans give the most to charity, we compared 384 metro areas.
When should your firm begin to leverage a new offering, if at all? Let’s talk about ESG investing and share three strategies to help your firm discuss and market a new product or service in an authentic, practical, and distinctive way.
It’s big news that Envestnet is moving into the RIA custodial space and will soon be competing head-to-head with its biggest integration partners: an expanded Schwab platform, Fidelity and Pershing. I suspect that this is just the first of many so-called software “platforms” that will jump into the custody competition.
Here are seven mindset shifts to stretch your thinking to generate only ideal clients this year.
The best start to a year for bond returns is helping fuel an unprecedented debt-sale bonanza by governments and companies around the world of more than half a trillion dollars.
RIA merger and acquisition activity had yet another record year, although the year-over-year increase was less steep than prior years. There were 264 transactions in 2022. M&A activity was nearly 10% higher than last year's 241 transactions. But 2022 ended with a slower fourth quarter, 20% below last year's blockbuster Q4 total. We'll get into the details beneath the numbers with David DeVoe in this podcast. I have had the privilege of interviewing David every year around this time, and this is the third in that series.
Portfolio Manager Michael Oh, CFA, reviews what he seeks out in innovative companies and why he thinks Asia may be in the early innings of innovation in more than technology.
We believe it is important to keep you informed on the latest proposals and regulations impacting the retirement industry, as well as implications to your business.
Nearly seven years have passed since the publication of our 2016 paper “How Can ‘Smart Beta’ Go Horribly Wrong?”
It is a challenge to design a website that addresses the needs and questions of multiple client types.
There are many reasons advisors should avoid social media marketing.
I have been in this profession for 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like the young people we are hiring today – lazy, unmotivated, but still thinking they deserve the trophy.
For the past few years, regardless of price, there's been a buyer for every RIA seller. But that won’t continue.
Southwest Airlines cancelled 16,000 holiday flights. It will cost the airline dearly in reputational rage and lawsuits. Will massive Reg BI compliance failures cost BDs?
Vanguard Group, which quit the world’s biggest climate-finance alliance in December, was the only major ETF provider to post an increase in European assets last year thanks to its lower exposure to environmental, social and governance strategies, according to Morningstar Inc.
Here are my six best tips for creating high-quality video content using your smartphone.
Advisors must redesign their entire approach, starting from the client's point of view.
Let me share a story of an RIA who will be forced to mount a legal defense because of a lawsuit that is likely to be filed by two of his retired clients.
So-called greenwashing by asset managers misleads investors by labeling products with false claims of ESG benefits. But the SEC’s initiative to restrain this malpractice falls short because it does not distinguish between risk- and ethics-driven ESG products.
The process by which advisors select a TAMP is the latest illustration of fiduciary failure, and the SEC has responded with ominous rulemaking that will have questionable value to our profession.
Welcome to tax season, TikTok edition.
Our 2022 ESG manager survey findings reinforced our belief that the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment processes is here to stay.
Note: This commentary has been updated with the latest numbers from the latest Employment Report for December. Consider: Today nearly one in three of the 65-69 cohort and one in five of the 70-74 cohort are in the labor force.
I've put together four steps to grow your client base – this month.
My firm’s leader had a major unexpected undiagnosed medical issue. He walked out of the office one day and I haven’t seen him for four weeks.
Can you believe these grifters hawking indexed universal life (IUL) insurance on TikTok? Here’s the actions I’m taking to put an end to this predatory nonsense.
Here are two lessons to double the value of your practice…
A wealth management business’ tech journey should begin with answering this simple question…
Investors who use a 60/40 portfolio had a rough year. In the past, putting 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds has often helped investors hedge against losses in either asset class. But 2022 had other ideas.
Engage in activities that position you as a trusted authority.
2022 wasn’t the easiest of years to handle for investors.
Here are my five golden rules of marketing for advisors from Warren Buffett.
In preparation for the new year, let’s look at the importance of celebrating what’s been done and learning from mistakes made.
I’ve learned a lot through my work consulting with advisors. Here are some marketing insights to help you plan for 2023.
After a year defined by inflation and the policy response to it, we expect 2023 to be a year of transition.
The collapse of FTX and the charges against Sam Bankman-Fried have brought many renewed calls for crypto regulation, from both commentators and legislators.
An OCIO can deliver vastly expanded investment capabilities while seamlessly alleviating the burden of investment infrastructure, operations back-office, and administrative tasks, freeing up advisors’ time for vital client-facing and relationship-building activities.
I’m looking over my previous “trends” article, published at this time a year ago, and some of my ”fearless predictions” were outlandish then but now seem ordinary. That means I did something right.
Switching broker-dealers/RIAs is a monumental decision for financial advisors. This white paper will teach you how to successfully evaluate potential B-D/RIA partners and find the perfect fit for your financial practice by sharing valuable insights and advice from advisors who’ve been through the process of switching firms.
Enjoy the latest Newsletter from Harold Evensky.
India’s $50 billion fintech industry will face hurdles in the form of tougher regulatory scrutiny and tighter liquidity leading to higher cost of capital for some companies next year, Rakesh Pozhath, partner at consulting firm Bain & Company, said.
Great articles don’t always get the readership they deserve. We’ve posted the 10 most-widely read investment, planning and practice management articles over the last two days. Below are another 10 that you might have missed, but I believe merit reading.
As is our custom, we conclude the year by reflecting on the 10 most-read practice management articles over the past 12 months. Tomorrow, we will highlight the 10 best articles you probably missed.
As is our custom, we conclude the year by reflecting on the 10 most-read investment and planning articles over the past 12 months. Tomorrow, we will highlight the 10 most-read practice management articles.
Millennials want to be valued team members. They value productive working relationships with their supervisors. Here my leadership lessons for millennial team members.
Implementing technology that comprehensively supports every business objective is about a consultative, hands-on relationship with the vendor.
Funnel marketing worked reasonably well until two to three years ago, but it’s been failing ever since. Here's why.
During our holiday party, one of my longest tenured advisors came up to me to say how appalling he thought it was that we held such “an expensive party.”
At a recent climate-finance meeting attended by Wall Street giants including BlackRock Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., no one spoke until a lawyer had finished reading out a disclaimer stating the group was not a cartel.
It was a weird year on Wall Street.
Rising interest rates was the dominant story in 2022. Did fixed income losses cripple insurance companies? Or has the insurance industry shifted the risk to your clients who purchased their products?
Scott Minerd, Global CIO for Guggenheim Partners and Chairman of Guggenheim Investments, joins the year-end episode of Macro Markets on Fed Day for a wide-ranging discussion of the Federal Reserve’s execution of monetary policy, economic conditions, the investment landscape for risk assets, portfolio strategy, and more.
The US government is blacklisting Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co. and dozens of other Chinese tech companies, ratcheting up a trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies.
ChatGPT, the new AI chatbot, offers a short-term opportunity for savvy financial advisors. But it has long-term consequences for all advisors.
The SEC’s 2022 actions on fiduciary care are a reminder why a “real fiduciary” standard will only thrive if advisors and planners make it so. Regulators cannot. It’s is not their job.
One of the most emotional topics I discuss with advisors – male or female – is about appropriate dress. This was evident in a recent conversation with an advisor who tried to look “cool.”
The client had been with us for more than 15 years. When she left, I called her to ask if there was anything we could have done differently or better.
Asset managers are trying to digest new regulatory proposals that have the potential to upend Europe’s biggest ESG fund category.
Here are four questions independent financial advisors should ask before choosing a TAMP.
“95 years ago, your crystal ball reveals: Russian debt default, LTCM fail, DotCom implosion, 9/11 attacks, financial crisis and great recession, pandemic killing millions, 3 market crashes. Would you put your money into stocks? No? You missed a 10X return.”
We have someone we have been carrying for quite some time and we need to ask him to leave.
I’ve uncovered these false assumptions that may cause you to waste your marketing budget.
It may indeed be the case that TSMC’s $40 billion spending bill is the largest foreign direct investment, but that’s still not enough to ensure the US builds itself a self-sufficient semiconductor industry.
Slowly but surely, bond haters are vanishing across Wall Street — even as fresh market havoc remains a distinct possibility next year if still-raging inflation forces the Federal Reserve to ramp up policy tightening anew.
This nonsense is non-existent in the RIA model.
Let’s look at the powerful feature set an advisory firm could put together from a collection of the higher-rated, low-market-share programs and solutions that I’ve collected from past surveys, many of which you may not even be aware of.
After months of planning and negotiations, the biggest tranche of sanctions on Russian oil to date are about to take effect -- how big their impact will remain uncertain.
After years of uncertainty around how U.S. retirement plans could consider ESG factors, the dust is finally settling. It’s official: A Nov. 22 rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) allows retirement plans to consider financially material ESG factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights.
Over the past 12 months, global container shipping rates have steadily declined to their long-term averages as supply chain snarls have receded and backups at ports have disappeared. Now, another segment of the cargo shipping industry is seeing day rates explode to record highs.
Now I know why people ignore my warnings about those who claim they can predict the markets.
A would-be client’s journey to choosing a brand is complex. There are ample opportunities for them to be distracted.
The emotional component begins with the hunger to be a true entrepreneur coupled with the frustration that builds every time wirehouse management demonstrates just how little control their advisor employees have.
Global bonds rebounded in November, adding a record $2.8 trillion in market value, as investors bet that central banks are getting a grip on inflation. But how long the party lasts is another matter.
Financial planning can be opaque, vague, and perceived as non-valuable by the consumer. I’m about to give financial planning a transparency makeover.
As we enter the end of the year to celebrate other holidays, consider improving your emotional intelligence (EQ) and connecting with your clients in deeper and more fulfilling ways.
To market to your niche, start with “patient zero.” Here is how to identify and work with someone who can help drive your firm’s viral growth.
The Twitter chatter of Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley is good vibes only: factory photos, race tracks, corporate boosterism and a lot of retweets of Ford customers gushing about their vehicles. It’s all cars, and it’s all anodyne.
The US Inflation Reduction Act passed in August contains tax and investment incentives for a number of clean-energy technologies, including electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines. But the 750-page document also features a 30% tax credit for a lesser-known player in the push for energy efficiency: dynamic glass.
You might think a stock price is just a number, but it has symbolic and practical importance, especially in the US.
RIA Resources
I Asked ChatGPT to Write About Airline Deregulation in the U.S. Here’s How It Went
Since its launch in November, ChatGPT has been a smash hit. To explore the benefits of airline deregulation in the U.S., we sought the help of the AI content generator.
Wall Street Rides Loan-Market Rally to Sell Risky Buyout Debt
Slowly but surely, investment bankers from New York to London are chipping away at the tens of billions of dollars in leveraged buyout debt that remains famously stuck on their balance sheets.
An Uncommon Approach to Implementing Multiple Niches
Here are six steps to implement multiple niches, bring in new clients, and accelerate their growth goals.
Looking for Inflation Reduction Act Rebates to Go Green? Get Ready to Wait
For Americans with a New Year’s resolution to trade in their gas furnace or water heater for climate-friendly heat pumps, a word of caution: Generous Inflation Reduction Act rebates for home electrification took effect on Jan. 1, but they won’t actually be available to homeowners until year’s end or 2024 at the earliest, according the US Department of Energy.
In Defense of Millennials
Older advisors need to step aside and make room for the up and comers.
Market Conditions Favor a Move Up in Credit Quality
Anne Walsh, Chief Investment Officer for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, joined Bloomberg TV in Davos to discuss the outlook for credit as recession nears.
What it Takes to Be an Elite Advisor
If you are competing with the best of the best, how do you rise above the competition?
Ask Brad: Do You Rent or Own Your Advisory Practice?
Do you fear looking back at your career one day and asking yourself “what if” you had made a move to independence?
Client Values Matter More than Your Tech Stack
We turn fantastic conversations with clients into risk profiles, performance reports, and various financial documents that have little meaning to them and their values.
How to Save for Retirement by Paying Down Your Student Loans
Paying down student debt or saving for retirement can seem like mutually exclusive goals. A little-known workplace benefit could soon allow more workers to do both.
Where Rich Americans Give the Most to Charity
To determine the places where affluent Americans give the most to charity, we compared 384 metro areas.
Three Strategies to Expand Your ESG Offerings
When should your firm begin to leverage a new offering, if at all? Let’s talk about ESG investing and share three strategies to help your firm discuss and market a new product or service in an authentic, practical, and distinctive way.
How Custodial Competition Will Transform the Advisor Space
It’s big news that Envestnet is moving into the RIA custodial space and will soon be competing head-to-head with its biggest integration partners: an expanded Schwab platform, Fidelity and Pershing. I suspect that this is just the first of many so-called software “platforms” that will jump into the custody competition.
Seven Mindset Shifts to Grow Your Practice
Here are seven mindset shifts to stretch your thinking to generate only ideal clients this year.
Global Bond Sales Off to Record Start of Nearly $600 Billion
The best start to a year for bond returns is helping fuel an unprecedented debt-sale bonanza by governments and companies around the world of more than half a trillion dollars.
M&A Valuations and the Landscape for 2023
RIA merger and acquisition activity had yet another record year, although the year-over-year increase was less steep than prior years. There were 264 transactions in 2022. M&A activity was nearly 10% higher than last year's 241 transactions. But 2022 ended with a slower fourth quarter, 20% below last year's blockbuster Q4 total. We'll get into the details beneath the numbers with David DeVoe in this podcast. I have had the privilege of interviewing David every year around this time, and this is the third in that series.
Asia: The Early Innings of Innovation?
Portfolio Manager Michael Oh, CFA, reviews what he seeks out in innovative companies and why he thinks Asia may be in the early innings of innovation in more than technology.
US Retirement Legislation and Regulation Bulletin: Fourth Quarter 2022
We believe it is important to keep you informed on the latest proposals and regulations impacting the retirement industry, as well as implications to your business.
Revisiting Our “Horribly Wrong” Paper: That Was Then, This Is Now
Nearly seven years have passed since the publication of our 2016 paper “How Can ‘Smart Beta’ Go Horribly Wrong?”
Design Your Website to Appeal to Multiple Audiences
It is a challenge to design a website that addresses the needs and questions of multiple client types.
What If the Fish Are Poisoned?
There are many reasons advisors should avoid social media marketing.
Are Millennials Lazy and Self-Entitled?
I have been in this profession for 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like the young people we are hiring today – lazy, unmotivated, but still thinking they deserve the trophy.
A Sale Can Enhance a High-Performing Growth Culture
For the past few years, regardless of price, there's been a buyer for every RIA seller. But that won’t continue.
Southwest Will Pay for Its Failures, but will Broker-Dealers?
Southwest Airlines cancelled 16,000 holiday flights. It will cost the airline dearly in reputational rage and lawsuits. Will massive Reg BI compliance failures cost BDs?
Vanguard Gets Extra ETF Billions After Largely Shunning ESG
Vanguard Group, which quit the world’s biggest climate-finance alliance in December, was the only major ETF provider to post an increase in European assets last year thanks to its lower exposure to environmental, social and governance strategies, according to Morningstar Inc.
Six Steps to Creating High-Quality Video on Your Phone
Here are my six best tips for creating high-quality video content using your smartphone.
To Deliver a Transformative Experience Think Like a Client
Advisors must redesign their entire approach, starting from the client's point of view.
Will RIAs be Liable for Failed Retirement Income Planning?
Let me share a story of an RIA who will be forced to mount a legal defense because of a lawsuit that is likely to be filed by two of his retired clients.
The SEC’s Misguided Fight Against Greenwashing
So-called greenwashing by asset managers misleads investors by labeling products with false claims of ESG benefits. But the SEC’s initiative to restrain this malpractice falls short because it does not distinguish between risk- and ethics-driven ESG products.
The SEC Outsourcing Rule and Our Failure as Fiduciaries
The process by which advisors select a TAMP is the latest illustration of fiduciary failure, and the SEC has responded with ominous rulemaking that will have questionable value to our profession.
Tax Season Gets a Gen Z Revamp on TikTok
Welcome to tax season, TikTok edition.
2022 ESG Survey Deep Dive: Active Ownership Review
Our 2022 ESG manager survey findings reinforced our belief that the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment processes is here to stay.
Demographic Trends for the 50-and-Older Work Force
Note: This commentary has been updated with the latest numbers from the latest Employment Report for December. Consider: Today nearly one in three of the 65-69 cohort and one in five of the 70-74 cohort are in the labor force.
Four Steps to Grow Your Client Base
I've put together four steps to grow your client base – this month.
How to Manage a Leaderless Practice
My firm’s leader had a major unexpected undiagnosed medical issue. He walked out of the office one day and I haven’t seen him for four weeks.
Gimme a Break, Bro – Stop the TikTok Grifters
Can you believe these grifters hawking indexed universal life (IUL) insurance on TikTok? Here’s the actions I’m taking to put an end to this predatory nonsense.
A Sale Can Enhance a High-Performing Growth Culture
For the past few years, regardless of price, there's been a buyer for every RIA seller. But that won’t continue.
Ask Brad: How to Double the Value of Your Practice
Here are two lessons to double the value of your practice…
Aligning Data and Technology
A wealth management business’ tech journey should begin with answering this simple question…
Is It Time To Rethink The 60/40 Portfolio?
Investors who use a 60/40 portfolio had a rough year. In the past, putting 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds has often helped investors hedge against losses in either asset class. But 2022 had other ideas.
How To Differentiate Your Business in 2023
Engage in activities that position you as a trusted authority.
The R Year
2022 wasn’t the easiest of years to handle for investors.
Buffett’s Five Golden Rules for Advisor Marketing
Here are my five golden rules of marketing for advisors from Warren Buffett.
A Blueprint for Strategic Planning
In preparation for the new year, let’s look at the importance of celebrating what’s been done and learning from mistakes made.
Marketing Insights from the Trenches
I’ve learned a lot through my work consulting with advisors. Here are some marketing insights to help you plan for 2023.
Global Macro Outlook - First Quarter 2023
After a year defined by inflation and the policy response to it, we expect 2023 to be a year of transition.
Beware the Dangers of Crypto Regulation
The collapse of FTX and the charges against Sam Bankman-Fried have brought many renewed calls for crypto regulation, from both commentators and legislators.
Rethinking the Traditional OCIO Model: A Guide for RIAs
An OCIO can deliver vastly expanded investment capabilities while seamlessly alleviating the burden of investment infrastructure, operations back-office, and administrative tasks, freeing up advisors’ time for vital client-facing and relationship-building activities.
The Trends That Will Shape the Advisory Profession in 2023
I’m looking over my previous “trends” article, published at this time a year ago, and some of my ”fearless predictions” were outlandish then but now seem ordinary. That means I did something right.
Find the Best Broker-Dealer/RIA Partner for Your Practice
Switching broker-dealers/RIAs is a monumental decision for financial advisors. This white paper will teach you how to successfully evaluate potential B-D/RIA partners and find the perfect fit for your financial practice by sharing valuable insights and advice from advisors who’ve been through the process of switching firms.
NewsLetter - December 2022
Enjoy the latest Newsletter from Harold Evensky.
Indian Fintechs Face a Tough 2023 as Investments Cool, Bain Says
India’s $50 billion fintech industry will face hurdles in the form of tougher regulatory scrutiny and tighter liquidity leading to higher cost of capital for some companies next year, Rakesh Pozhath, partner at consulting firm Bain & Company, said.
The Ten Best Articles You Probably Missed
Great articles don’t always get the readership they deserve. We’ve posted the 10 most-widely read investment, planning and practice management articles over the last two days. Below are another 10 that you might have missed, but I believe merit reading.
Our Top 10 Most Popular Practice Management Articles of 2022
As is our custom, we conclude the year by reflecting on the 10 most-read practice management articles over the past 12 months. Tomorrow, we will highlight the 10 best articles you probably missed.
Our Top 10 Most Popular Investing Articles of 2022
As is our custom, we conclude the year by reflecting on the 10 most-read investment and planning articles over the past 12 months. Tomorrow, we will highlight the 10 most-read practice management articles.
My Guide to Leadership of Millennials
Millennials want to be valued team members. They value productive working relationships with their supervisors. Here my leadership lessons for millennial team members.
The Role of Service and Partnership in Selecting a Fintech Vendor
Implementing technology that comprehensively supports every business objective is about a consultative, hands-on relationship with the vendor.
The Marketing Funnel Is Dead - What Now?
Funnel marketing worked reasonably well until two to three years ago, but it’s been failing ever since. Here's why.
Was Our Holiday Party Too Lavish?
During our holiday party, one of my longest tenured advisors came up to me to say how appalling he thought it was that we held such “an expensive party.”
Vanguard Exit Has Lawyers Mapping Out Wall Street’s Top ESG Risk
At a recent climate-finance meeting attended by Wall Street giants including BlackRock Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., no one spoke until a lawyer had finished reading out a disclaimer stating the group was not a cartel.
WhatsApp, Monkey Bar, Buffett: Banking’s 2022 Winners and Losers
It was a weird year on Wall Street.
Did Rising Rates Cripple the Insurance Industry?
Rising interest rates was the dominant story in 2022. Did fixed income losses cripple insurance companies? Or has the insurance industry shifted the risk to your clients who purchased their products?
Minerd on the Fed and Investing Heading into 2023
Scott Minerd, Global CIO for Guggenheim Partners and Chairman of Guggenheim Investments, joins the year-end episode of Macro Markets on Fed Day for a wide-ranging discussion of the Federal Reserve’s execution of monetary policy, economic conditions, the investment landscape for risk assets, portfolio strategy, and more.
US Blacklists More Chinese Tech Companies, Escalating Trade Fight
The US government is blacklisting Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co. and dozens of other Chinese tech companies, ratcheting up a trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies.
The Incredible "Silver Bullet" Potential of ChatGPT
ChatGPT, the new AI chatbot, offers a short-term opportunity for savvy financial advisors. But it has long-term consequences for all advisors.
Keeping the Republic … and the Fiduciary Standard
The SEC’s 2022 actions on fiduciary care are a reminder why a “real fiduciary” standard will only thrive if advisors and planners make it so. Regulators cannot. It’s is not their job.
How “Cool” Should Advisors Dress?
One of the most emotional topics I discuss with advisors – male or female – is about appropriate dress. This was evident in a recent conversation with an advisor who tried to look “cool.”
How Can I Resurrect an Angry, Lost Client?
The client had been with us for more than 15 years. When she left, I called her to ask if there was anything we could have done differently or better.
Fund Managers Brace for ESG Correction With $4 Trillion at Stake
Asset managers are trying to digest new regulatory proposals that have the potential to upend Europe’s biggest ESG fund category.
Four Questions to Ask Before Selecting a TAMP
Here are four questions independent financial advisors should ask before choosing a TAMP.
Newsletter Volume 15, No. 5
“95 years ago, your crystal ball reveals: Russian debt default, LTCM fail, DotCom implosion, 9/11 attacks, financial crisis and great recession, pandemic killing millions, 3 market crashes. Would you put your money into stocks? No? You missed a 10X return.”
How to Terminate a Well-Liked Employee
We have someone we have been carrying for quite some time and we need to ask him to leave.
Marketing Assumptions That Cost You Money
I’ve uncovered these false assumptions that may cause you to waste your marketing budget.
Sorry USA, $40 Billion Won’t Buy Chip Independence
It may indeed be the case that TSMC’s $40 billion spending bill is the largest foreign direct investment, but that’s still not enough to ensure the US builds itself a self-sufficient semiconductor industry.
Wall Street Managers Are Learning to Love Treasury Bonds Again
Slowly but surely, bond haters are vanishing across Wall Street — even as fresh market havoc remains a distinct possibility next year if still-raging inflation forces the Federal Reserve to ramp up policy tightening anew.
Ask Brad: The Absurdity of Annual Compensation Plan Changes
This nonsense is non-existent in the RIA model.
The Alternative Tech Stack
Let’s look at the powerful feature set an advisory firm could put together from a collection of the higher-rated, low-market-share programs and solutions that I’ve collected from past surveys, many of which you may not even be aware of.
Europe Sets Russian Oil at $60 a Barrel: What Changes Now
After months of planning and negotiations, the biggest tranche of sanctions on Russian oil to date are about to take effect -- how big their impact will remain uncertain.
It’s Official: U.S. Retirement Plans Can Consider ESG Factors
After years of uncertainty around how U.S. retirement plans could consider ESG factors, the dust is finally settling. It’s official: A Nov. 22 rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) allows retirement plans to consider financially material ESG factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights.
Crude Tanker Rates Could Reach a Jaw-Dropping $200,000 a Day Next Year
Over the past 12 months, global container shipping rates have steadily declined to their long-term averages as supply chain snarls have receded and backups at ports have disappeared. Now, another segment of the cargo shipping industry is seeing day rates explode to record highs.
Our Brains Are Prediction Machines - What Advisors Should Do About It
Now I know why people ignore my warnings about those who claim they can predict the markets.
What Advisors Don't Get About Brand Awareness
A would-be client’s journey to choosing a brand is complex. There are ample opportunities for them to be distracted.
Lack of Control is Driving Advisors Away from Wirehouses
The emotional component begins with the hunger to be a true entrepreneur coupled with the frustration that builds every time wirehouse management demonstrates just how little control their advisor employees have.
Bond Market Bulls Are $2.8 Trillion Better Off After Rebound
Global bonds rebounded in November, adding a record $2.8 trillion in market value, as investors bet that central banks are getting a grip on inflation. But how long the party lasts is another matter.
Financial Planning Needs a Makeover!
Financial planning can be opaque, vague, and perceived as non-valuable by the consumer. I’m about to give financial planning a transparency makeover.
Consistently Deepening Relationships with Clients
As we enter the end of the year to celebrate other holidays, consider improving your emotional intelligence (EQ) and connecting with your clients in deeper and more fulfilling ways.
Find Your Patient Zero
To market to your niche, start with “patient zero.” Here is how to identify and work with someone who can help drive your firm’s viral growth.
Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Full of People Swearing Off Tesla
The Twitter chatter of Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley is good vibes only: factory photos, race tracks, corporate boosterism and a lot of retweets of Ford customers gushing about their vehicles. It’s all cars, and it’s all anodyne.
Once a Luxury Amenity, Smart Glass Emerges as an Energy Saver
The US Inflation Reduction Act passed in August contains tax and investment incentives for a number of clean-energy technologies, including electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines. But the 750-page document also features a 30% tax credit for a lesser-known player in the push for energy efficiency: dynamic glass.
SPACs Slap Some Lipstick on Their Penny-Stock Pigs
You might think a stock price is just a number, but it has symbolic and practical importance, especially in the US.