Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Also in industry news this week: NASAA has proposed an amendment to its broker-dealer conduct model rule that would restrict the use of the terms “advisor” and “adviser” for broker-dealers and their registered representatives who are not also investment advisers or investment adviser representatives A recent study suggests that (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Taxes Tax Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 31, 2025

Also in industry news this week: While RIA M&A deal flow hit record levels in 2024 (both in terms of volume and the speed of completing them), firm valuations saw relatively modest gains In its latest annual regulatory oversight report, FINRA joined the SEC in flagging the potential risks to firm and client data from the use of third-party vendors (..)

Financial Planner 245

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Compliance Taxes 245

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 24, 2025

For smaller firms – especially those with little to no experience onboarding new advisors – creating a well-paced financial plan can feel daunting. However, a structured and flexible onboarding plan not only helps an associate advisor ramp up efficiently but also ensures a smooth transition into an autonomous and fulfilling role!

Planning 130

Planning Clients Financial Planning Communication 130

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a report from Cerulli Associates found that, amidst an industry-wide trend towards comprehensive financial planning and away from pure transaction-based investment management, asset-based fees currently represent 72.4%

Financial Planner 228

Financial Planner Commission Communication Clients 228

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 17, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A recent survey indicates that members of Generation X are struggling more with retirement planning compared to older Baby Boomers and younger Millennials, potentially offering opportunities for financial advisors to help Gen Xers create a plan to 'catch up' when it comes to both their retirement savings and their financial (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Retirement Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 25, 2023

Each week in Weekend Reading For Financial Planners, we seek to bring you synopses and commentaries on 12 articles covering news for financial advisors including topics covering technical planning, practice management, advisor marketing, career development, and more.

Financial Advisor 246

Financial Advisor Insurance Financial Planner Clients 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

In the early days of financial planning, serving clients often meant developing transactional relationships focused on facilitating trades and selling insurance. Over time, advisors shifted toward more analytical approaches, such as investment management and retirement planning.

Clients 130

Clients Planning Financial Planner Financial Planning 130

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 24, 2025

Nonetheless, given the scale and brand awareness of the wirehouses, and as their own use of fee-based models increases (as opposed to primarily relying on commissions from selling products), competition for clients (and advisors) will likely remain stiff going forward, even amidst the favorable trends for RIAs Also in industry news this week: A recent (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Clients Commission 246

Abnormal Returns

OCTOBER 31, 2022

wsj.com) Poland is planning to build nuclear power plants. (nytimes.com) Global Europe's energy crisis is far from over. economist.com) With economic sanctions in place, it's back to the future for the Russian auto industry. fortune.com) Economy Three things that are dampening economic pain, including remote work.

Financial Advising 246

Financial Advising Media Valuation Retail 246

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 28, 2023

One of the key steps in the financial planning process is presenting the plan to the client, which has traditionally been done as part of a single 'plan presentation' meeting that takes place once the advisor has gathered and analyzed all of the client's data.

Planning 246

Planning Clients Financial Planning Education 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 10, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A survey indicates that nearly 71% of new financial advisors drop out in the first 5 years, with firms offering better training and mentorship opportunities (as well as entry-level positions that don't come with business development targets) seeing higher employee retention rates How broker-dealer self-regulatory organization (..)

Financial Planner 189

Financial Planner Clients Financial Advice Numbers 189

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 14, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A recent survey finds that while advisors are increasingly using passive investment vehicles, many are taking the time to look beneath the hood to examine the makeup of different indexes in order to choose the best option for their clients A survey of advisors working at enterprise firms shows a significant increase (..)

Financial Planner 162

Financial Planner Compliance Commission Retirement 162

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

In the mid-20th century, the first phone call for a person who needed guidance on saving or planning for retirement was likely to be to a stockbroker or a mutual fund or insurance salesperson. So, in the late 1960s, a movement began to organize and promote best practices that would establish financial planning as a true profession.

CFP 246

CFP Financial Planning Planning Certification 246

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 17, 2025

In addition, AI Notetakers are increasingly popular as advisors' financial plans get increasingly comprehensive; not surprisingly, the more detailed financial planning conversations happen in client meetings, the more there is to capture and share out. At the same time, AI Meeting Notes tools themselves continue to evolve rapidly.

Financial Advisor 147

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Professional Services 147

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Nonetheless, given Kitces Research findings that being 'too' comprehensive can eat into a firm's bottom line, advisors might seek a 'sweet spot' of providing a comprehensive slate of services (but not necessarily every possible service) that are most valuable for their ideal target client.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Financial Advisor Estate Planning Compliance 246

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Also in industry news this week: 43% of wealth management firms are frustrated with the effectiveness of their CRM software, spurred on by challenges with integrations and workflows, according to a recent survey The Social Security Administration this week announced a 2.5% Read More.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Risk Tolerance Financial Planning Wealth Management 246

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 26, 2024

The study also identified attributes of "top performing" firms across a range of metrics, finding that they are more likely than other firms to have a clear ideal client persona, client value proposition, and marketing plan.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Communication Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 17, 2024

Also in industry news this week: The SEC this week announced a proposed rule that would require RIAs to collect and verify their clients' personal information in an effort to prevent illicit activity, though many firms likely are taking many of these steps already Why larger RIAs and those that have been acquired tend to have worse client and staff (..)

Financial Planner 238

Financial Planner Wealth Management Retirement Investment Planning 238

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that a CFP Board ad campaign promoting a career in financial planning to high school and college students sparked an uproar in the planning community, as some advisors questioned whether the messages being sent in the ads – (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Financial Planning Retirement Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Also in industry news this week: While the SEC has had the power to restrict mandatory arbitration clauses in RIA client agreements for more than a decade, an advisory committee meeting this week suggests support for such a measure isn't unanimous CFP Board saw a record number of exam-takers during 2024, reflecting recognition of the professional and (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Retirement Certification 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 10, 2024

could save retirement plan participants $55 billion over the next 10 years (due to an expectation of more low-cost fees being offered in plans) and those rolling over workplace plans into IRAs to purchase annuities another $32.5 billion (thanks to expected reductions in commissions and the embedded costs in these annuities).

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Retirement Valuation 246

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 9, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent survey indicates that clients of financial advisors are more confident than others about their financial preparedness for retirement and are more likely to have a financial plan in place that can weather the ups (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Taxes Financial Planning Estate Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

From there, we have several articles on advisor marketing: Three tactics advisors can use to improve their ‘close’ rate with prospective clients. While “free” Medicare Advantage plans might sound enticing, advisors can help their clients assess whether a different plan might actually be more cost-efficient.

Financial Planner 244

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Compliance Clients 244

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 23, 2022

”, a series of measures that will have significant impacts on the world of retirement planning. From there, we have several articles on advisor marketing: Five tactics advisors can use to make the most of the online referrals they receive. How ‘regifting’ can help save money and reduce waste.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Financial Planning Budgeting 246

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 30, 2022

” has brought a wide range of changes to the world of retirement planning. From there, we have several articles on advisor technology: A recent survey shows that many advisors at large firms are unhappy with their firm’s current tech stack and that client growth has suffered because of it.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Clients Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

From there, we have several articles on investments: How Morningstar plans to simplify its rating system amid continued concerns about its effectiveness. We wrap up with three final articles, all about mental frameworks: How operating from a set of ‘big beliefs’ can help advisors assess the needs of individual clients.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Strategic Planning Retirement Planning Retirement 246

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A CFP Board study indicates that financial planners with the certification earn 10% more than other advisors and show very high levels of career satisfaction A Morningstar study has identified 4 main areas where investors find value from their financial advisors, which might not match an advisor's own list of top ways (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Compliance Fee Only Communication 246

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Further, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was the most cited factor driving industry growth during the next 3 years, with client data integration as a primary area for improvement, suggesting an opportunity for AI tools to help advisors make the most of the significant amount of client data they possess (possibly saving time in the process) and potentially (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Clients Retirement 246

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 28, 2023

House of Representatives committee this week approved legislation that would expand the pool of individuals who would qualify as accredited investors able to access certain private offerings Proposed bipartisan legislation would allow individuals to use funds in 529 plans for expenses associated with acquiring or maintaining postsecondary credentials, (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Certification Retirement Planning Retirement 246

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 26, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the Department of Labor released the final version of its Retirement Security Rule (a.k.a.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Commission Communication Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 14, 2024

Also in industry news this week: While an infusion of Private Equity (PE) capital has shaken up the RIA M&A market, the ultimate implications for advisors, their clients, and the PE firms themselves remain unclear A recent study has found that a significant portion of 'DIY' investors are open to working with a human advisor (and paying for the (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Compensation Planning Asset Allocation Retirement Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

Among other measures, the proposal would amend the current 5-part test that determines fiduciary status for retirement accounts by defining as a fiduciary act a one-time recommendation to roll funds from a company retirement plan to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), strengthen advice standards for independent insurance professionals, apply to (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Retirement Insurance 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 3, 2024

Also in industry news this week: Large asset managers offering hybrid digital-human advice services are eating into the market share of purely human advisors, signaling that a smaller firm's ability to offer a differentiated value proposition could be a key to success in the coming years A recent study indicates that tech-forward advisory firms not (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Healthcare Retirement Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 2, 2023

Also in industry news this week: How Goldman Sachs’ RIA custodial platform is leveraging the resources of its parent company as it seeks to build momentum amidst a highly competitive environment among custodians How NASAA has changed the substance and/or scoring of the Series 63, 65, and 66 exams From there, we have several articles on college (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Risk Tolerance Clients Financial Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 19, 2022

Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the FPA is planning to leave the Financial Planning Coalition (which also includes the CFP Board and NAPFA) at the end of the year.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Clients Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Read More.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Fiduciary Duty Retirement Planning Compliance 246

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 14, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The SEC this week finalized a series of rules designed to discourage future runs on money-market funds, potentially reducing their liquidity risk A recent study suggests that advisor marketing messages that address prospective clients' emotional concerns, in addition to their technical questions, could be particularly (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Compliance Media Retirement 246