Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A recent study suggests that while a majority of financial advisory clients surveyed have only had 1 advisor, deteriorating client service is a key risk factor that could sway certain clients to leave for a different advisor RIA M&A activity in 2024 is poised to surpass the total number of deals seen in 2023, according (..)

Tax Planning 81

Tax Planning Practice Management Leverage Planning 81

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Also in industry news this week: A court ruling this week vacated Department of Labor guidance that a one-time rollover recommendation from a company plan to an IRA would trigger fiduciary duty requirements under ERISA Vanguard’s CEO this week indicated the firm plans to invest heavily in direct indexing amid the growing use cases for the strategy (..)

Practice Management 85

Practice Management Compliance Planning Securities 85

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A probe by the Government Accountability Office found that the conflict-of-interest disclosures offered by many firms offering financial advice are often inadequate or confusing, making it hard for consumers to understand whether and when a financial professional is operating in their best interest A recent study has (..)

Treasury 92

Treasury Tax Planning Practice Management Compliance 92

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 19, 2024

Nevertheless, there is potential for many individual RIAs to expand their staffing further, with the addition of specialized planning and operations roles being seen as a potential avenue to boost firm growth.

Practice Management 94

Practice Management Numbers Planning Marketing 94

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 (..)

Practice Management 93

Practice Management Planning Numbers Marketing 93

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 5, 2023

Also in industry news this week: Legislation working its way through Congress would allow for electronic delivery of documents to clients of advisors and other financial services firms by default, though it has been met with some opposition While RIAs have outpaced wirehouses in terms of client asset growth and headcount, industry consolidation has (..)

Practice Management 86

Practice Management Compliance Investments Numbers 86

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 3, 2024

At the same time, the study found that potential breakaway brokers view the operational and compliance requirements of transitioning to and doing business as an RIA as a major concern, which could lead some of them to either leverage the growing number of service providers available to RIAs, or perhaps join an existing corporate RIA platform to take (..)

Healthcare 85

Healthcare Construction Practice Management Leverage 85

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 23, 2024

District Court this week ruled that Missouri's rules that targeted investment advice based on factors other than return maximization was unconstitutional and preempted by Federal law, striking a blow against state efforts to regulate the activities of SEC-registered advisers From there, we have several articles on retirement: 7 factors that can help (..)

Prioritization 81

Prioritization Practice Management Budgeting Investments 81

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A recent study from advisor digital marketing firm Snappy Kraken suggests firms that invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), have a regular cadence of emails to their subscriber list, and include video content in these messages tend to get greater returns from their marketing efforts CFP Board has created a guide (..)

Practice Management 91

Practice Management Education Compliance Investments 91

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 23, 2023

Also in industry news this week: A recent study found that financial advisors get significantly more social media engagement from posts on LinkedIn and Facebook compared to Twitter and highlighted the importance of posting original content for engagement Why RIAs have struggled to find a solid footing in the IPO market From there, we have several articles (..)

Practice Management 95

Practice Management Compliance Investments Finance 95

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 12, 2024

Also in industry news this week: The Department of Labor (DoL) this week published a final rule delineating what makes an individual an independent contractor versus a company employee, though it did not provide specific guidance for registered representatives of broker-dealers and other financial professionals who have expressed concern that their (..)

Practice Management 89

Practice Management Budgeting Communication Securities 89

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

For instance, some firms spread these meetings out throughout the year while others bunch them into a limited number of months, or even weeks. Ultimately, the key point is that just as no single planning strategy is applicable for every client, no single practice management technique is appropriate for every financial planning firm.

Practice Management 98

Practice Management Concentration Planning Numbers 98

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 20, 2023

While it remains to be seen whether the measures will actually be enacted, proposed measures include raising income and capital gains tax rates, instituting wealth taxes, and reducing the state estate tax exemption, potentially creating future planning opportunities for advisors with clients in those states.

Practice Management 83

Practice Management Cash Management Leadership Numbers 83

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 5, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A separate Supreme Court decision struck down the SEC's use of in-house judges to adjudicate cases involving civil penalties (unless both parties in the matter agree to it), likely setting up more settlement offers from the regulator to avoid a drawn-out legal process in the Federal court system At a time when it has (..)

Practice Management 87

Practice Management Valuation Budgeting Securities 87

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Also in industry news this week: In a new whitepaper, industry consultant Mark Hurley predicts that the environment for wealth management firms will grow much more competitive amid higher interest rates and greater PE funding of advisory firms, although opportunities exist for RIAs that can successfully attract and serve younger clients at scale According (..)

Practice Management 84

Practice Management Investments Numbers 84

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 28, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The SEC released a proposal that would require firms to take steps to eliminate or neutralize conflicts of interest when using predictive data analytics tools with clients A recent study found that financial advisors remain the top source of financial advice for consumers, with social media coming in well behind From (..)

Benchmarking 95

Benchmarking Practice Management Securities Numbers 95

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 16, 2022

From there, we have several articles on practice management: Why it is important for advisors charging on a fee-for-service basis to regularly reassess their pricing, and best practices for letting current clients know about a fee increase.

Practice Management 97

Practice Management Education Leverage Planning 97

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Also in industry news this week: A legal challenge to FINRA's operations as a self-regulatory organization has the potential to upend the current regulatory system for broker-dealers and their registered representatives A recent study indicates that while many consumers appear confident handling their finances on a 'DIY' basis during their careers, (..)

Strategic Planning 86

Strategic Planning Construction Practice Management Communication 86

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The SEC agreed to a series of settlements with 9 RIAs resulting from charges of improper use of hypothetical returns in advertising under the regulator's marketing rule How several CEOs of large RIAs and AdvisorTech companies have found that receiving funding from private equity firms and taking the responsibility for (..)

Practice Management 93

Practice Management Advertising Leadership Numbers 93

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Also in industry news this week: A study from the FINRA Foundation has found that objectively knowledgeable investors tend to pay less in investment expenses, while those who perceive that they have expertise tend to pay more A new report shows how pro bono financial planning can benefit not only financial advisors and their pro bono clients, but also (..)

Practice Management 89

Practice Management Planning Investments Numbers 89

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The SEC this week released its 2023 examination priorities, which include its new marketing rule, Reg BI, and complicated investments The House of Representatives is considering legislation that would broaden the definition of who qualifies as an accredited investor and is potentially eyeing a role for financial advisors (..)

Practice Management 87

Practice Management Investments Numbers Planning 87

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 7, 2023

Also in industry news this week: FINRA has announced that, on the heels of its first enforcement action under the Reg BI rules, it will be ramping up its examinations of broker-dealers for potential violations (after a long period of relative leniency when firms were still determining how best to comply with the rule) A recent study from Ameriprise (..)

Prioritization 88

Prioritization Auditing Practice Management Communication 88

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 27, 2023

Also in industry news this week: Why cash management strategies could become increasingly important parts of an advisor’s value proposition in a higher-interest-rate environment Why improved returns on cash products could be a double-edged sword for some advisory clients following last year’s market volatility From there, we have several (..)

Nonprofit 88

Nonprofit Practice Management Advertising Cash Management 88

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 18, 2023

Also in industry news this week: FINRA has enacted a more thorough expungement process in an effort to ensure that all sides have a chance to be heard when brokers seek to have customer disputes removed from their record CFP Board is encouraging its certificants to commit to at least 20 hours of pro bono service each year and a variety of programs (..)

Practice Management 94

Practice Management Finance Numbers Planning 94

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 14, 2022

We also have a number of articles on practice management: Why small financial advisory firms continue to thrive amid competition from the largest players in the industry. How the Common Data Set can help advisors and families compare the actual cost of attendance across a range of colleges.

Tax Planning 90

Tax Planning Practice Management Accounting Firms Securities 90

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 6, 2023

We also have a number of articles on practice management: Why the most successful firms in the coming years might be those who dominate individual market segments rather than those that are ‘overdiversified’ Four ways firms can attract next-generation advisor talent.

Auditing 85

Auditing Practice Management Planning Investments 85

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

From there, we have several articles on practice management: A new company aims to train the next generation of planners and provide a valuable outsourced service to advisory firms. Why creating internal career paths and considering fully remote workers could help firms thrive in the current tight labor market for advisor talent.

Practice Management 85

Practice Management Education Planning Securities 85

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 3, 2023

Senators is considering potential ways to shore up Social Security, from raising the retirement age to 70 to creating a sovereign wealth fund From there, we have several articles on practice management: How advisory firms can leverage their CRM software to run a more efficient practice Best practices for firms to consider when choosing training programs (..)

Practice Management 74

Practice Management Leverage Economics Securities 74

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 12, 2023

Also in industry news this week: Why industry groups representing investment advisers and others have blasted an SEC proposal that would significantly expand its Custody Rule A new study suggests that organic client growth and profit margins are the key factors driving RIA valuations, with the firm’s affiliation model having little to no impact (..)

Tax Planning 90

Tax Planning Practice Management Valuation Investments 90

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 19, 2023

Also in industry news this week: CFP Board adopted a set of revised procedural rules, including establishing the ability to conduct “informal inquiries” in response to complaints to better identify potential wrongdoing A patent that allowed Vanguard to launch ETFs as share classes of its existing mutual funds expired this week, but it is (..)

Practice Management 81

Practice Management Leverage Numbers 81

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 14, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The Foundation For Financial Planning has gotten a boost toward its goal of connecting 10,000 CFP professionals with pro bono work thanks to increased funding from Orion Advisor Solutions FINRA has resubmitted a proposal, now with tighter rules, that would allow a broker working remotely to supervise other brokers, (..)

Auditing 76

Auditing Practice Management Leadership Securities 76

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 28, 2022

From there, we have several articles on practice management: A new report shows that RIA profitability and AUM soared in 2021, buoyed by a strong stock market and new client growth. Fidelity has introduced a direct indexing platform for advisors, joining an increasingly competitive space.

Practice Management 85

Practice Management Valuation Economics Investments 85

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

We also have a number of articles on practice management: Why looking inward at their leadership style can be one of the best ways for firm leaders to prevent employee turnover. How advisors can help their clients turn their HSAs into wealth-building machines.

Tax Planning 82

Tax Planning Practice Management Leadership Planning 82

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 2, 2022

From there, we have several articles on practice management: The three essential skills firm owners need to build the right team, including why it is important to always be on the lookout for potential employees. Why wrap fee programs appear to be in the crosshairs as the SEC begins to enforce Reg BI.

Practice Management 74

Practice Management Planning Securities Investments 74

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 9, 2022

From there, we have several articles on practice management: Why creating a defined employee value proposition could be the key for RIAs to attract and retain talent in the current tight labor market. A four-step process that advisors can use to help clients who tend to overspend.

Practice Management 84

Practice Management Planning Finance Retail 84

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 7, 2022

We also have a number of articles on practice management: Five key metrics that underpin advisory firm sustainability. A new paper argues that an actual safe withdrawal rate for retirees is significantly less than 4% when taking into account return data from developed countries other than the United States.

Practice Management 80

Practice Management Marketing Numbers Accounting 80

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

This month's edition kicks off with the news that Practice Intel has launched a new "growth platform" centered around quantifying the quality of an advisor's client relationships with an all-in "Relationship Quality Index" (RQI) – which while potentially valuable in helping advisors understand and improve their client experience (and subsequently (..)

Valuation 91

Valuation Compliance Practice Management Technology 91