It’s Not ‘ESG Investing.’ It’s Just Investing
Wealth Management
APRIL 20, 2023
By not taking ESG factors into account, financial advisors may be shirking their fiduciary duty.
Cambridge Investment Research Associates To Pay $15M In SEC Revenue-Sharing Conflicts Case
Wealth Management
MARCH 21, 2025
The SEC accused Cambridge Investment Research's RIA business of breaching its fiduciary duty in recommending certain mutual funds and money market sweep funds.
Fiduciary Duty 
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SEC’s AI Rule Could 'Weaken' Advisors’ Fiduciary Duty, IAA Attorney Argues
Wealth Management
MARCH 7, 2024
In contrast, the outgoing director of the SEC's Investment Management Division said the degree of risk in AI’s proliferation is “obvious.” The advocacy group for advisors argued the rule is overly broad.
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When Are Advisors (Financially) Liable For Negligent Investment Advice? (And Who Pays For It)
Nerd's Eye View
JUNE 12, 2024
For example, if an advisor recommends an investment that prioritizes the commission they would receive rather than any benefit the client would derive from it, they could incur fines and sanctions for violating their fiduciary duty as an advisor.
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Extracting Actionable Takeaways From The SEC’s Staff Bulletin Regarding An RIA’s Standard Of Care
Nerd's Eye View
OCTOBER 25, 2023
There is a general understanding that investment advisers have a fiduciary relationship with their clients – in other words, that they are required to act in the client's best interests. These 3 components in practice make up a core part of the adviser's fiduciary duty to their clients.
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RIA Code Of Ethics: Important Nuances To Note In Relatively Straightforward Requirements
Nerd's Eye View
JUNE 21, 2023
All investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to their clients, and, in an ideal world, advisory firms and their staff would abide by these requirements without the need for a prescriptive code of ethics. Read More.
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Personal finance links: the burden of social debt
Abnormal Returns
JULY 26, 2023
money.usnews.com) Investing J.D. Roth, "Too many people try to overcomplicate investing. Too many people pay others to provide subpar investment results." jdroth.com) Why people underperform their own investments. awealthofcommonsense.com) Doug Boneparth, "Investing is hard, because nothing stays the same forever.
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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (Feb 18-19)
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 17, 2023
Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the SEC is proposing to expand the adviser custody rule beyond securities and funds to cover all assets in a client’s portfolio, including private securities, real estate, derivatives, and cryptoassets.
Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (September 28–September 29)
Nerd's Eye View
SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
Also in industry news this week: As brokerage firms have faced a wave of lawsuits regarding the low interest rates paid on cash sweep accounts, some legal experts believe that RIAs could also be targeted for legal action if they allow clients' uninvested cash to sit in a cash sweep account rather than investing it or moving it to a higher-yielding (..)
How to Find a Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Darrow Wealth Management
NOVEMBER 4, 2024
For non-fiduciary financial advisors, recommendations may only need to be suitable , not necessarily in the client’s best interest. Hybrid firms can switch between their status as a registered investment advisor and brokerage, which can be problematic for individuals seeking unbiased financial advice.
Research links: considering all factors
Abnormal Returns
JANUARY 31, 2023
papers.ssrn.com) Fund management How do active managers invest their own money? blog.validea.com) How anti-ESG movements could be contrary to a fiduciary duty. Indexing The index effect is disappearing. papers.ssrn.com) Does additional scrutiny, via index inclusion, hurt a company's performance. nytimes.com)
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Fiduciary Papers #7: What Steps are Required to Properly Manage a Conflict of Interest Held by An Investment Adviser?
Ron A. Rhodes
MARCH 18, 2023
While the SEC has provided an interpretative release [SEC Release IA-5248, Commission Interpretation Regarding Standard of Conduct for Investment Advisers (July 12, 2019)] regarding the fiduciary duties of investment advisers,…
How to Find a Fee-Only Financial Advisor
Darrow Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 13, 2025
Fee-only firms are unique as they do not receive commissions from selling financial products, such as insurance policies or investment products. Fee-only financial advisors are often registered investment advisors too, meaning they have a legal duty to act in the clients best interest. Independent firm.
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How I rocked the world as an hourly financial planner – with Kevin Estes
Sara Grillo
MARCH 11, 2024
He figured out it would be better to invest more time initially to get people’s finances on the rails, and then adjust the amount downwards as the relationship progresses. He doesn’t touch investments because he sees less opportunity to add value. If he doesn’t, he feels he isn’t doing this fiduciary duty.
CFP Board’s Crypto Guidelines Offer a Word of Caution
eMoney Advisor
DECEMBER 20, 2022
A recent announcement regarding cryptocurrency from the CFP Board provided advice on crypto-related investments stating CFPs® are neither required nor prohibited from providing advice related to cryptocurrency, but “should do so with caution.” Crypto Investing Deserves Special Consideration. Risks Associated with Crypto.
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Empower (formerly Personal Capital) Review – Managing All Your Investments in One Place
Good Financial Cents
JUNE 11, 2023
One thing that I have craved for investors is a tool that allows you to sync all your financial accounts – your investment portfolio, checking and savings accounts, credit cards and other loan accounts – in one place, and then provides an investment-related analysis of your entire portfolio. Personal Capital to the rescue.
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Three Qualities of a Successful Investment Adviser
Truemind Capital
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
Investment management is never a part-time activity but a full-time job. Quality investment management is much more than selecting schemes from star-rating websites or buying a stock based on little insights. Unchecked conflict of interest can ruin your investment returns. 🔊 Play Audio.
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Wealthfront’s Portfolios Are Now Even More Tax-Optimized
Wealthfront
NOVEMBER 4, 2024
Wealthfront Advisers is a registered investment advisor, and that means we have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest. As part of that commitment, we are always looking for opportunities to help you earn more and keep more.
Sustainable Investing: Considerations for Trustees
Brown Advisory
SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
Sustainable Investing: Considerations for Trustees ajackson Thu, 09/12/2019 - 08:49 Sustainable investing. Impact investing. These terms all refer to the consideration of social and environmental factors in one’s investment decisions—a concept that is gaining serious traction in the investment universe.
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Sustainable Investing: Considerations for Trustees
Brown Advisory
SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
Sustainable Investing: Considerations for Trustees. Sustainable investing. Impact investing. These terms all refer to the consideration of social and environmental factors in one’s investment decisions—a concept that is gaining serious traction in the investment universe. Thu, 09/12/2019 - 08:49. Mission alignment.
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The Benefits of a Diversified Investment Portfolio
International College of Financial Planning
AUGUST 31, 2023
Investing your money is crucial to securing your financial future and achieving your goals. Whether saving for retirement, buying a home, or building an emergency fund, investing grows your wealth over time. However, relying on a single asset class or Investment within an Asset class can be risky and limiting.
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How to Choose a Personal Financial Advisor
Park Place Financial
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
Whether planning for retirement or evaluating different investment options, people seek the assistance of a personal financial advisor for many reasons. Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) . As the name indicates, an RIA recommends the best investment options based on a person’s financial circumstances and goals.
Investing in a Resilient Future: Our Role in Supporting the Climate
Brown Advisory
NOVEMBER 29, 2022
Investing in a Resilient Future: Our Role in Supporting the Climate mhannan Tue, 11/29/2022 - 14:04 Download the Report We live in an age of technological miracles, but many of these miracles come with steep costs for society. We also describe our initial plans under the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAMi).
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Investing in a Resilient Future: Our Role in Supporting the Climate
Brown Advisory
NOVEMBER 29, 2022
Investing in a Resilient Future: Our Role in Supporting the Climate. To reduce emissions and/or resource use, many cities and even entire nations are investing meaningfully in these technologies as well as climate adaptation and mitigation, including labeled bond issues that pledge their proceeds toward specific environmental projects.
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The Collapse of SVB: Thoughts on Moral Hazard, Market Fundamentalism, Fiduciary Duties, and the Scope of Government Regulation
Ron A. Rhodes
APRIL 8, 2023
ON THE EXISTENCE OF MORAL HAZARD IN BANKING (ONCE AGAIN) The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in led to a March 12, 2023 joint statement from Secretary…
Fiduciary Papers #11: Benchmarks for Comparing Investment Portfolio Strategies
Ron A. Rhodes
AUGUST 9, 2023
a preliminary step in portfolio design is discerning the investment strategies that should be utilized. The choice of investment strategies, in… Before choosing specific securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.),
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How to Lower Your Financial Advisor Expenses
WiserAdvisor
JUNE 12, 2022
The advisor can also help you create a well-diversified investment portfolio , plan your expenses and liabilities, and also help you manage your overall finances smoothly. The cost of doing so also depends on your requirement, corpus size, investment horizon, and the fee structure used by the financial advisor.
Brown Advisory 2020 Sustainability Report
Brown Advisory
JUNE 18, 2020
Community and society Philanthropic activity Environmental impact, including our carbon footprint and our carbon-neutrality commitment Colleagues Career development support, including commitments to support colleague education Support for colleagues and their families, including revamped policies covering all expressions of gender and sexual orientation (..)
Brown Advisory 2020 Sustainability Report
Brown Advisory
JUNE 18, 2020
General commitments to ethics and fiduciary duty. Sustainable investing programs, including an assessment of the ESG exposures, carbon emissions and positive impact of our institutional strategy holdings. Diversity and inclusion programs and metrics. Cybersecurity programs to protect clients and colleagues.
Does being a fiduciary financial advisor REALLY matter – or is it “meh?”
Sara Grillo
AUGUST 14, 2023
The word “fiduciary” is not a marketing term, not just something you throw out there to virtue signal. Researching costs of investments, services, and products rendered to the client Assessing if risk is reasonable for the client Assessing if performance expectations are reasonable for the client But these are all loose definitions.
Fiduciary Papers #12: The Prudent Investor Rule’s Requirement for Tax Efficient-Investing
Ron A. Rhodes
AUGUST 9, 2023
OVERVIEW: THE PRUDENT INVESTOR RULE The Uniform Prudent Investor Act (UPIA) (1995), adopted in some form by all 50 states, applies to the investment of private trust funds. The Prudent…
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6 Tips to Avoid Financial Fraud and Guard Your Investments
WiserAdvisor
MAY 31, 2022
Apart from these, investment frauds are also quite common. According to the FTC report, investment fraud cost $3,000 per victim in 2021. With the steeply rising number of frauds in the country, the birth of crypto investments, changing fintech rules, etc., What if you wait for a few days before investing?
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Should FAs Allow Clients’ Political Opinions to Influence Their Investment Decisions?
Don Connelly & Associates
APRIL 8, 2024
If it's like the last couple of elections, financial advisors are sure to see some clients wringing their hands over which candidate will win the White House and how that will impact the financial markets and their investments. The post Should FAs Allow Clients’ Political Opinions to Influence Their Investment Decisions?
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ESG: Virtue or Vice? Wrong Question.
Brown Advisory
JANUARY 3, 2023
The “mainstreaming” of sustainable investing has been the story of the decade in investment management. A naming-and-shaming approach may be effective for a small list of big offenders, but we should all be more demanding of our investment managers and advisors. This is not the case in investing. is about people.
ESG: Virtue or Vice? Wrong Question.
Brown Advisory
JANUARY 3, 2023
The “mainstreaming” of sustainable investing has been the story of the decade in investment management. A naming-and-shaming approach may be effective for a small list of big offenders, but we should all be more demanding of our investment managers and advisors. This is not the case in investing. is about people.
ESG: Virtue or Vice? Wrong Question.
Brown Advisory
JANUARY 3, 2023
The “mainstreaming” of sustainable investing has been the story of the decade in investment management. A naming-and-shaming approach may be effective for a small list of big offenders, but we should all be more demanding of our investment managers and advisors. This is not the case in investing. is about people.
Why is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Designation Important to Us?
Tobias Financial
JULY 11, 2023
We hold our advisors to this rigorous requirement, ensuring that those who lead client relationships and provide investment advisory services possess this designation. It signifies a commitment to professionalism, ethics, and a fiduciary duty to act in our clients’ best interests. Why is the CFP® designation crucial to us?
Don’t fall for the BS – use these RAW and REAL tips to find a financial advisor!
Sara Grillo
DECEMBER 22, 2023
. #3 Leverage Fiduciary resources and learn what a pure fiduciary is Institute for the Fiduciary Standard houses a library of Advisor On My Side resources. Read about the six core fiduciary duties. Institute for the Fiduciary Standard. Six Core Fiduciary Duties for Financial Advisors.
Fiduciary Papers #15: The Prudent Investor Rule, 401k Accounts, and Tax-Efficient Investing
Ron A. Rhodes
DECEMBER 21, 2023
In the 401(k) world there has for many years been the option for plan participants to contribute to Roth 401(k) accounts, rather than traditional 401(k) account. For contributions to Roth…
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Structured Product Benefits
Park Place Financial
NOVEMBER 29, 2022
Discover some of the benefits of structured products and their value for investment. These pre-packaged investments usually feature assets connected to interest and an additional. SEC), meaning they operate similarly to traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds. similarly to traditional investments. investments.
ESG, Shorthand, and Shortcuts
Brown Advisory
DECEMBER 5, 2023
It also compels a good deal of humility, an acknowledgement of luck, and a desire to always learn more and to turn over more rocks, and to look at more information in order to arrive at investment insights. Here is an attempt to invoke fundamental investing basics to clarify exactly what we aspire to deliver for our clients.
What does it mean to be a Fee-Only financial advisor?
Walkner Condon Financial Advisors
APRIL 17, 2023
Some advisors are primarily paid directly by the client, but then also might receive some compensation from insurance policies they sell to their clients or other investment products they recommend, like a specific fund or annuity. This fee covers not only investment management, but also financial planning. How are we compensated?
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What Is a Fiduciary?
Carson Wealth
JANUARY 14, 2023
CFP ® , Director of Consumer Investment Research Being a fiduciary is holding a duty to a client that a financial advisor will act in the best interests of the client rather than the best interests of the advisor, the advisor’s employer, or any other entity. This may sound simple. Craig Lemoine, Ph.D.,
What type of financial advisor is right for you? Questions you should ask.
Walkner Condon Financial Advisors
APRIL 21, 2023
Some advisors are primarily paid directly by the client, but then also might receive some compensation from insurance policies they sell to their clients or other investment products they recommend, like a specific fund or annuity. This fee covers not only investment management, but also financial planning.
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