Practice

Second-career advisors have an edge

Mak is among a growing cohort of successful women financial planners who have come to the industry from traditionally female-dominated professions.

By Brynna Leslie |September 18, 2011

5 min read

Industry

Small dealers, adapt or die

Wealth management business is undergoing significant structural changes thanks to protracted slowdown, skittish clients, and concerns over low returns and high volatility.

By Vikram Barhat |September 15, 2011

4 min read

Planning and Advice

The professional way to get paid

Let’s face it, the ongoing discussion about the relative merits of differing compensation models is one of the defining issues of our generation for our industry. The four basic options include: by salary, by the hour, by assets and by commission. There’s obviously room to mix and match and to use hybrid models, as well. Any conversation about this topic requires the requisite disclaimer of ‘it’s a free country’ and ‘you can use any compensation model you want’, of course.

By John De Goey |September 15, 2011

3 min read

Planning and Advice

Your clients hate winter

People are more risk-averse in winter than summer, says a new study.

By Melissa Shin |September 15, 2011

2 min read

Get the most for your laid-off clients

When a client’s job security is on shaky ground, an advisor has to be prepared. This means helping their client get the best possible severance package and making sure they have enough money to safely tread water while searching for a new job.

By Jonathan Linds |September 14, 2011

4 min read

What’s your practice worth: Advisor Audio

Listen and learn. At the Advisor Group’s 2011 Distributors' Summit, Cameron Jacox and James Hilton, Managing Partners, Jacox-Hilton Producer Consulting, discussed how MGA owners can determine the value of their operation for both succession and sales purposes.

By Staff |September 14, 2011

1 min read

Pushing back the regulators: Advisor Audio

Listen and learn. Speakers at Advisor Group’s 2011 Distributors' Summit discussed ways industry members can work together to help advisors capture the next generation of clients, better assess and respond to risk, and build a more business-friendly environment. Stephanie McManus, President, Compliance Support Services, discussed ways to get regulators to see reason about a proscriptive rule that doesn’t work with your business model, without triggering a full-scale audit.

By Staff |September 13, 2011

1 min read

Developing new managers: Advisor Audio

Listen and learn. At Advisor Group’s 2011 Distributors' Summit, Jeff Hughes, GAMA International, Falls Church, Virginia, discussed independent and hybrid independent organizations that rely on industry resources to enhance their own development efforts.

By Staff |September 12, 2011

1 min read

How to fire clients

The key to successful segmentation is a thoughtful analysis of your business, smart selection of clients, and a viable service platform to ensure clients who aren’t on your A-list don’t fall through the cracks. It used to be only a few firms had advisor report cards that outlined a book’s profit and client details.

5 min read