Practice

As one advisor found, planners need to know how to do much more than build wealth for their clients.

You never know what to expect. But events of 2011 gave plenty of clues for what lies ahead in 2012, as trading firms and exchanges speed up and beef up.

Marketing expert Marie Swift says events can be a great way to help enhance relationships with current clients, position yourself in front of qualified prospects, and build important mutually beneficial relationships with centers of influence.

After Congress, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Housing Federal Agency and, last but not least, the Securities and Exchange Commission all failed to recognize the hazardous levels that mortgage-backed securities were reaching in 2008, regulators realized something was seriously wrong.

The reduction in pension and health care benefits for public sector employees in Florida has led to a rush by people nearing retirement age to opt out early.

With rising life expectancies and reports of lackluster retirement savings, the risk is a growing concern for many Americans.

Understand the three levels of happiness and be ready to connect them with their financial-planning equivalents.

Being able to sell is still important, but in today's market it's just one of many skills that a bank advisor needs to thrive.

There are fresh messages about the value of annuities—but don't assume your clients are aware of them yet.

He didn't want to lose and didn't want to do what was necessary to win.