1. What To Talk About in Annual Reviews
I have a suspicion: Not all financial advisors conduct annual reviews with their clients. Their might be a transactional business. Perhaps they own insurance products without a performance element linked to the stock market. Annual reviews are one of the ways advisors bring value to the relationship. — Bryce Sanders
2. It Pays To Be a Financial Planner. Literally.
Each advisor and certified financial planner (CFP) has different motivations for getting into the business. For some, there’s altruism. They enjoy working with people, want to help clients reach important and put their soft skills to good use. — Todd Shriber
3. Four Steps To Capture Meaningful Testimonials
Last week I suggested that we need to think about testimonials differently, flipping the focus from sharing feedback from clients to sharing stories of how clients have been impacted by working with you. This week I promised to share a tactical plan. As a reminder, I argued that while sharing client feedback (e.g., satisfaction or Net Promoter Score ratings) is interesting, sharing client stories has a bigger impact on prospective clients. While different, both are forms of client testimonials. — Julie Littlechild
4. Two Tax-Smart Strategies for Charitable Giving with an IRA
Many high-net-worth individuals have significant assets in IRAs and other retirement accounts that they don’t need to provide for their living expenses. For philanthropically minded clients, these accounts can be a great source to fund charitable giving and offer potential opportunities to reduce taxes. Here are two ways that you can add value to your clients by helping them develop a tax-efficient giving strategy. — Caleb Lund and Hayden Adams
5. Four Key Questions to Ask Before Making a Hedge Fund Investment
If you are thinking of investing in hedge funds, you’re likely spending a fair amount of time understanding the different investment strategies and their associated risk/return characteristics. While this is essential to your decision-making process, it is equally important to understand the operations and underlying economics of a fund – the associated fees and expenses charged by the fund, the fund manager and any third-party service providers, and how often can subscriptions or redemptions be made. These considerations may determine whether an investment is appropriate for an investor’s risk profile and investment objectives. The hedge fund world is complex and there is a lot to take into consideration. — Joe Burns
6. Exploring Investment Opportunities in India: A Future Economic Powerhouse
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, intends for India to be a developed country by 2047, the 100th anniversary of Indian independence. Some experts have considered that goal to be a bit too ambitious, but few deny the fact that there are several exciting reasons for investors to consider investment opportunities in India. India’s gross domestic product is expected to increase 6 percent this year, faster than the United States or China. Relative to other emerging markets, India’s valuations are attractive, and forward earnings growth looks more attractive than it has been in a while. — Steven Brod
7. Retirement Savers Are Piling Into Stocks. Is That a Good Idea?
As the financial markets grind higher, retirement savers have consciously decided to add more to equity risk. Such was the result of a recent Bloomberg survey. “Retirement savers want more stocks in their portfolios as a hedge against inflation, potentially offering a long-term tailwind for equities as societies age, according to the latest Bloomberg Markets Live Pulse survey. — Lance Roberts
8. 3 Reasons To Rethink Global Equity
In the centuries-old riverside town of West Newbury, Massachusetts, advisor Holly Colvin at Helm Financial Planning serves a wide range of clients with different backgrounds and needs. “Many of my clients are young and need more growth in their portfolios,” says Colvin. “At the same time, other clients have reached a stage in life when they need to draw on their assets.” — Mark Barile
9. What To Do When Investors Mix Politics and Investing
We are still many months from the next election, but strong feelings about the current administration and presidential contenders are already present. It isn’t too early to prepare yourself for it. And I share a personal story that has unfolded over the last few weeks to provide some ideas. — Jay Mooreland
10. Do the New Bitcoin ETFs Make it a Less Risky Investment?
If you’re looking for a heart-pounding rollercoaster ride into the uncharted territory of financial wild things, forget boring old S&P 500 returns. Look no further than the shiny new Bitcoin ETFs hitting the market. Or not. — Rick Kahler
11. The Markets Have Been Living Life in the Fast Lane
Dana and I took a weekend trip to another part of the US, which happened to coincide with the iconic band “The Eagles” being in town on what I think is their second or third “farewell tour.” They haven’t lost a step in decades. Don Henley is 76 years old and still sings like he’s 26. The late, great Glenn Frey is gone, but his son Deacon is a rising star and honored his father for the second straight tour by playing in his place. Same with Vince Gill, a country legend, who joined the tour again. OK, that’s the music review. Now, on to the markets, but with a decidedly Eagles theme. — Rob Isbitts