Wealth Think

With the financial crisis as the backdrop and the fiscal cliff and regulatory changes on the horizon, "you know that how you manage your practice is not going to get easier," said Bill Winterberg, of FPPad.com.

Ed Slott, Your IRA Expert, examines how often your clients can perform Roth conversions, how to hand Roth deferrals, and what happens to IRAs when a spouse dies.

Advisors need to help clients focus on their long-term plans by demonstrating the risks of short-term emotional decisions.

If you want to attract new clients, spend time talking about the benefits that people will have by working with you. Too many advisors talk mostly about their process. The problem with that is people don't care about your process.

As the trend toward independence continues, the opportunities raise questions from those advisors who are considering making the move. Shirl Penney of Dynasty Financial has created a helpful list of frequently asked question (and answers) for advisors who are thinking about going independent.

Firms come and firms go, but there has to be a bit of nostalgia for Smith Barney.

Hedge funds can do a lot of things to raise more capital, but the best strategy might have more to do with communication than anything else.

Ed Slott, Your IRA Experts, answers questions about 1.how to handle partial IRA conversions; dealing with inherited accounts; required minimum distributions; and more.

Savvy financial advisors are using social sites to differentiate themselves from the competition and to build trust and credibility. Perhaps the biggest reason for financial advisors to get involved in social marketing can be summed up in four words: Your customers are there.

We have been inundated with conversation recently around the ongoing debate of suitability versus fiduciary care for clients. This debate comes down to the "advisor" against the "broker" and vice versa. FINRA and the SEC. In almost every article and conversation on this topic I conclude that there is a clear lack of understanding of how the "other" is serving their clients.