Here’s a look at the the 20 Most Popular Advisorpedia Articles of the Year.
Click the headline to read the full article.
Enjoy!
Personal and professional development help ward off negative thoughts that prevent us from taking steps towards self-improvement. We often sit back and wait for an annual performance review to identify areas we need to improve. Position yourself to be accountable, improve your skill set, and continually learn by setting personal benchmarks and reviewing them regularly. —
Michelle MosherFinancial pundits make forecasts and try tell you what stock they think you need to own for the next quarter, but have you ever wondered what they actually do with their own money? Although I am a little uncomfortable sharing, I thought it would be refreshing to share how my wife and I have planned for our own retirement. —
Damon GonzalezEveryone in the media who has been going crazy pumping up the roboadvisor hype needs to realize that Wealthfront is just an RIA, but without any actual advisors! Successful advisors know they need to deliver value added services or their prospects and clients will go elsewhere. Betterment and Personal Capital figured this out, but Wealthfront has been slow on the uptake. —
Craig IskowitzYet, as I look back on my life, I was never really, truly, unhappy in my career, and there’s a very good explanation for that; I have only ever aspired to do work that made me feel fulfilled and happy. So even when I wasn’t doing work that fed my soul, I never felt trapped because I always saw everything as a stepping stone to the next thing. Even now, I’m only on a stepping stone to the next level. —
Jeff GibbardTechnology has been conspiring to lower price points of services for some time now, and I've been left with no doubt recently about Silicon Valley's desire to make financial advice affordable for the masses. What about for businesses whose goal isn't to do it cheap? What about for those whose job is to do complex, comprehensive and top quality for clients who are willing to pay for the best? —
Stewart BellPass or Fail: Good or bad – every meeting counts. Are you sure you’re making the most of every opportunity to grow your business? —
Paul KingsmanOne of the hardest lessons in life is accepting that to be good at something we need to practice it. Why we believe we should be good at something immediately is a mystery. Somewhere along the way we adopted the “you should be good before you’ve started” fallacy. Comparison compounds the situation. —
Dr. Nicole LipkinWith over 10,000 mutual funds, when you go to buy a mutual fund, where do you start? Start by learning what NOT to do. You’ll keep more after tax income when you avoid these five mistakes when buying mutual funds. Mistake #1 Chasing Past Performance ... —
Dana AnspachIf you thought election speculation ended on November 8, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to the conversations online and off about the pending DOL regulations that are set to apply on April 10. Initially, Trump’s victory had many in the industry speculating that the DOL fiduciary rule that has filled the industry with angst would be on the chopping block. But just a week later, that hope dissipated into a wishful pipe dream. —
Nasdaq Global IndexesI had an experience last month that left me furious, yet more determined than ever. It revolved around an adviser, the kind that should no longer exist in our world. Let me explain. About two weeks ago I got a call from a family member. He’d sought out advice from a friend of 30 years who also happened to be an adviser. “
Would you mind taking a look at it, Stewart?” he asked, “
Something’s not sitting right” “
Sure”, I said, “
Shoot it through” —
Stewart Bell##PAGE_BREAK##
Our habits play a crucial role in our ability to meet our goals and become who we want to be. Bad habits — whether it’s biting our nails, overeating, smoking or something else — create roadblocks on the path to becoming our best selves. And it’s no different when it comes to our finances. Bad money habits can have damaging, long-term consequences for our financial security. But developing healthy financial habits can do wonders for helping us achieve our long-term goals like saving enough for retirement or paying for a child’s college education. —
Brad ShermanEveryone in financial services understands that advisors generate 75-90% of all their new business from referrals. That doesn’t mean they’re generating enough revenue however, as most advisors will tell you they want more referrals, more leads, more clients. Advisors pursue many tactics to generate more leads. Oftentimes, it’s a mishmash of ideas from Advisor Marketing Guru #1 mixed with some ideas from Advisor Marketing Guru #2 ... —
Kirk LoweMany in the industry expected that the DOL Rule’s fiduciary requirements would push broker-dealers to divest their smaller accounts to avoid the risk of litigation. An automated investment process would seem like a solid alternative, especially since small accounts are usually less complex. The question then becomes, do roboadvisors comply with the DOL fiduciary rule? —
Natalia AutenriethRather than resolving to change in 2017, there’s still time to opt for buckling down and getting things done in 2016. In many instances, the end of the year closes a financial window or opens a new door. Are you ready to wrap up your loose ends and set yourself up to take advantage of any opportunities the New Year brings? —
Mary Beth StorjohannFor some, recent headlines have been unwelcome harbingers of changing tides in the advisory business, many of which are rooted in the DOL fiduciary rule. News has finally been trickling out about how the new rules will actually impact “business as usual” for commission-based firms, and major brokerages have announced huge policy changes as a result. —
Ed LopezAs conference season winds down in the wealth management industry, everyone seems to be discussing the “mega trends” that are leading to consolidation in the RIA space. From aging advisors, to low-cost online competition, to more strict regulatory requirements increasing the overall cost of doing business, savvy buyers are able to capitalize on these trends in order to grow assets and acquire talent through aggressive inorganic growth strategies. —
Matt SonnenAs a money manager, I’ve always said that it’s the policies and not the party that matter. So it is with Trump. Many of his proposed policies certainly bode well for the market, including lowering taxes and scrapping needless regulations that slow business growth. Like his former rival for the GOP nomination, Ted Cruz, he has expressed support for a return to the gold standard and reportedly owns between $100,000 and $200,000 in gold bullion. —
Frank HolmesA new year means it’s time to try new things! As the marketing landscape continues its swift evolution, it’s important for financial advisors to evolve with it, and that means adapting to modern marketing mediums. For New Year’s resolutions, advisors should plan to incorporate these 10 marketing trends into their plans for 2017 ... —
Brian HartI talk to a lot of wealth managers and private banks. They want to lead in digital as their clients are the coolest, richest people on the planet. It used to be that everything for a high net worth (HNW) client was face-to-face; now it’s skype-to-skype; tomorrow it’s machine-to-machine. —
Chris SkinnerWe’ve all heard the mantra: “Location, location, location!” When buying an investment property, a great location is often considered the #1 rule for success. But as we’ve all seen in that late night, a drag-out game of Monopoly, location certainly isn’t the only factor at play. —
Michael G Rivas
