Practice

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Maximize retirement income choices

Clients on the brink of retirement face a crucial decision on the income they’ll receive for the rest of their lives, if they’re lucky enough to have a pension. Most pensions offer different income-level options, some that provide income till your client dies, and others that continue at a reduced amount if the client dies […]

By Cindy D. David |February 1, 2010

5 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Social media can help advisors

When used effectively, social media is a valuable addition to the marketing mix of financial planners. Due to the wide distribution and democratic nature of these social tools, it’s important for planners to understand they are already involved in the social conversations unfolding online. Word-of-mouth recommendation has existed since the dawn of language, but the […]

By Neil Bearse & Betty Ann-Howard |February 1, 2010

6 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Ensure endowments are properly funded

Last month we introduced AER readers to the Happy Valley case study , in which the wealthy widow and matriarch of the fictional microcosm community sought an advisor’s help on how to create an endowment fund to be used to improve the social and environmental conditions of the community. We’ve examined how to structure an […]

By Mark Noble |February 1, 2010

8 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Celebrating Advice: Measuring a clients’ needs

While most advisors quickly realized they needed to change lanes on risk-allocation, and pull the brakes on emotionally charged, recession-ravaged clients, Jeff Swanson, owner of Vancouver-based Swanson Financial Footprint, says he avoids speed bumps by keeping greed firmly in check during bull runs. “The good times are the most dangerous times and I know how […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |February 1, 2010

4 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Debt’s not a dirty word

Over the last nine years, I think I’ve become pretty effective at getting my point across with my clients when I talk about debt. However, it has become somewhat automatic for me. I have no problem starting the debt conversation with anyone, really. In fact, I find it a difficult conversation NOT to have. I […]

|January 21, 2010

8 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Selective disclosure

Although the evidence is far from conclusive or unanimous, there are many experts who believe markets are highly efficient and certainly efficient enough that it does not make sense to try to exploit whatever mispricings might still exist. For them, fundamental and technical analysis, market timing and similar methods seem nearly useless. Although it is […]

By John De Goey |January 19, 2010

4 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

LaValley: Understanding how clients think and act

Regular readers of this space know that people don’t always behave rationally or respond to logic because of the overriding influence that emotion has on how we think and act. It is the emotional intangibles that make communication more complex than it needs to be. If our brains operated as simple calculators producing results based […]

By Barry LaValley |January 11, 2010

6 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Repairing the distribution system

Many of us will take time in the new year to reflect what’s in front of us and the year just past – and I suspect a common refrain will be “thank heavens that’s behind us.” It’s human nature to minimize uncomfortable events and instead look forward with optimism to better times. But, in 2010, […]

By Chuck Grace |January 1, 2010

6 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Volatility can affect portfolios

Three years ago I embarked on an adventure and rowed across the Atlantic with my girlfriend. There were times when we were literally on the crest of huge waves having the time of our lives, but there were also times when we endured great hardships as we battled tropical storms and some very low moments. […]

By Paul Gleeson |January 1, 2010

5 min read

Decorative pattern

Planning and Advice

Final Words: Building community

These past 18 months have seen the best advisors keen to connect with their communities and show clients they’re there for them on multiple levels. A few years ago, Dermid O’Farrell of O’Farrel1 Financial in Kemptville, Ont. determined the overhead he was expending on rented quarters for his growing team could be better spent elsewhere. […]

By Staff |January 1, 2010

3 min read

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