
Top 5 Factors Mass Affluent Use in Selecting an Advisor

5. Depth of Products and Services (80%)

4. Fees and Commissions (85%)

3. Investment Track Record (91%)

2. Transparency (92%)







In sessions at last week's Morningstar conference, Dimensional Chairman David Booth, "Unreasonable Hospitality" author Will Guidara and behavioral finance experts shared tips on how financial advisors can provide valuable coaching to clients.
The head of client segments in Morgan Stanley's wealth division acknowledges AI could one day be the primary source of financial advice for mass affluent clients. Morgan Stanley advisors working with wealthier investors will have to up their games.
The Carefull tool integrated into Edward Jones accounts aggregates client accounts and monitors for fraud or mistakes.
Millennials and Generation Z, as they begin accepting generational wealth, show a growing preference for tax-advantaged donor-advised funds.
BNY Pershing declined to state the size and fees of its clearing and custody business with RIAs and other wealth management firms. But that's hardly unique in a channel of the industry with shrinking margins.
Some advisors say they already have a hard enough time explaining what a fiduciary is under federal law and that NAPFA's new definition for fee-only planners will only add to the confusion.