1. Is the American Dream of Homeownership Becoming a Myth?
Homeownership is the quintessential American dream, but it’s become increasingly elusive for many households. A multitude of factors, including soaring home prices, elevated interest rates and persistent inflation, has created the perfect storm, making homeownership a distant reality for more U.S. residents. — Frank Holmes
2. How Do Investors Define Safe?
One of the most challenging parts of communication is that we use words that have different interpretations depending on one’s perspective and experience. We tend to use words without realizing the other party may have a completely different (personal) definition…and this is how a lot of miscommunication occurs. It’s not intentional; it is simply a failure to realize many of the words we use have multiple subjective meanings. — jay Mooreland
3. Setting Yourself Apart: Strategies for Differentiation and Success
You have to differentiate to stand out and attract business…but where do you do that. How do you do that? Well, it begins by thinking strategically about where you want to do it. — Tony Vidler
4. Doing More For Clients And Yourself As An Independent RIA
Gary Hirschberg loves helping people. Especially when it comes to their financial lives. So when he founded the RIA firm, Aaron Wealth Advisors, he knew that he would finally have the control to let ethics and principles be the driving force. Five years later, he’s built a thriving firm, elevated by those fully experienced in the ultra-high-net-worth space, including Schwab. — Schwab Advisor Services
5. Captivating Listeners: 3 Steps to Engaging Storytelling
Stories have the power to engage listeners and invoke emotions from the very beginning. They create a visual that connects participants to what you want to say. According to a Harvard study, people are 20 times more likely to remember facts when tied to a story. Storytelling is an art because it requires thought and structure. Simple stories, though, aren't hard to create. Try these three steps for the next story you share to capture and captivate your listener's attention. — Stacey Hanke
6. How Advisors Can Help Female Clients Feel Empowered
March is Women’s History Month – a notable occasion to be sure and one that should be a reminder to advisors that upping their focus on female clients is an all-year endeavor. — Todd Shriber
7. Could the Annual Cost of Living the Dream in Manhattan Be $1,000,000?
It seems everyone wants to live in Manhattan. Ever since films like "Breakfast at Tiffany’s” came out in 1961, thousands, if not millions of people have dreamed of living in the Big Apple. Some people recall movies featuring Doris Day. Others look at the lifestyles on display in “Real Housewives of New York.” What does it cost to live the dream Manhattan lifestyle? — Bryce Sanders
8. Navigating Middle-Market Investments
A common question we hear from LPs is how fund size and sector, as it pertains to portfolio construction, should take part in the allocation conversation. We believe that, for most investors, middle-market funds offer the best risk and return trade off, and offer a deep opportunity set. — Hamilton Lane
9. Demystifying Qualified Opportunity Zones
The Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ) program was created by the U.S. Congress as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The program’s overall mission is to stimulate economic activity in underdeveloped parts of the country by providing tax benefits that encourage long- term capital investment into these designated low-income urban, suburban, and rural areas. This is expected, in turn, to transform communities and boost the local economy. State governors designated over 8,700 census tracts across the country as QOZs, as shown in Exhibit 1. Although many of these zones are indeed underdeveloped, there are also attractive areas that are already gentrifying or located near central business districts. — Kunal Shah and Joshua Freeman
10. Cultivating a High-Net-Worth Clientele: Strategies for Financial Advisors
Any customer is a welcome addition to your clientele, but some will drive more success for your business than others. High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are among the most impactful for financial advisors. On a surface level, HNWIs are valuable clients because they bring in more money. More than that, though, they’ll likely need more service over a longer period, as they have more assets to manage and more complex concerns. — Devin Partida
11. What’s Behind the Surge in Working Women?
In an economic expansion that has continually surpassed market and Fed expectations, women have been at the forefront. More women are working than ever before. The pandemic was very tough on women, even earning the nickname “she-cession”[1], with a striking 13.6 million women (18% of the female population) losing their jobs during the depths of the pandemic. — Stephanie Aliaga