Wealth Think

Social media is rapidly changing the way financial advisors approach their marketing efforts, but staying current with compliance regulations can be a challenge.

Have you thought about what you can do in your practice to improve how you operate your business, making sure that this year is a better year than last year? Do you think your practice needs improved focus in order to be more profitable? Chris Kirby has some suggestions that could streamline your business to a “leaner and meaner” more profitable machine.

There are thousands of hedge funds competing in the marketplace. They come in all shapes and sizes, but all too often they approach investors with the same thesis.

A recent paper by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggests that in terms of actually being able to maintain one’s lifestyle in retirement, compared to other factors, the focus on asset allocation is largely misplaced.

While affluent women present a unique challenge to you as the advisor, they also represent a big opportunity as well.

Ed Slott, Your Ira Expert, examines timing an IRA conversion and moving an IRA when your beneficiaries are outside of the United States.

Ask a room full of financial advisors if they have thought about business planning, and most will say yes. Ask that same group of advisors if they have actually taken the time to create a written business plan and more importantly, follow it, and the majority of that room will most likely say no.

Independent business owners associated with broker-dealers have a real chance today to capitalize on the frustrations that wirehouse advisors are experiencing with regard to increasing compliance burdens, lack of support and compensation limitations. Mindy Diamond says that a big problem, however, is that most of the firms these principals represent are not positioned properly to benefit from this unique opportunity.

Flexibility, the ability to customize one’s practice and the entrepreneurial nature of being an advisor make the financial planning profession a great career for women, according to participants of a roundtable discussion held by Guardian Life Insurance.

Everyone has deeply personal emotions, ties, commitments to political parties, religions, lifestyles, sports teams, etc. that we all judge, right or wrong. Ned Van Riper says advisors have to be cautious about what they say (and display) so as not to offend a potential client.