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Boomers’ retirement offers opportunities, challenges
In four years, more than 4 million baby boomers annually will reach the normal retirement age for full Social Security benefits.
CFP Board hikes requirement for certification exam
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. is raising the education requirements for planners and financial advisers who seek to take the group's certification examination.
Death tax dead, but wealthy clients standing by
The temporary suspension of the estate tax is not spurring high-net-worth Americans to take action on their estate plans.
Seniors on investment info: Keep it short
Apparently, seniors set aren't big readers — at least when it comes to information about their investments.
New website lets consumers size up their financial advisers
It appears that Fabeetle.com has gone live. I've been awaiting more information on the site since first writing about it back in October.
Life insurers sue B-Ds over third-party VA sales
Two life insurers are suing a trio of broker-dealers, accusing them of fraudulently selling to third parties variable annuities with lucrative death benefits on terminally ill individuals.
Financial advisers, Valentine’s Day and the power of chocolate
Most financial advisers don't devote all that much thought to chocolate. Then there's Linda Boss and Todd Ganos.
U.S. judge declares Swiss banker, lawyer fugitives
A federal judge in Florida has declared a banker and lawyer from Switzerland who were indicted on fraud charges as fugitives from justice.
Looking to add legacy planning services to your practice? These tools can help
Everybody dies. Not everybody plans for it, though. That's where financial advisers come in. Few professionals are as well positioned to offer guidance on this sensitive topic — or to steer clients to specialists such as estate planners or attorneys. Indeed, financial advisers, who meet with clients on a regular basis, sometimes for years, can play a pivotal role in getting them to get their affairs in order long before they face their own mortality.
Wealth management and the web ‘like oil and water’: Study
Clients keen to do more of their financial planning virtually, but advisers still stuck in this world
TD Ameritrade to offer DIY valuation tool
Program aimed at helping advisers come up with a ballpark figure on what their firms are worth; many 'flying blind'
Wachovia will pay $160M to settle ‘historic’ money laundering case
Banking giant Wachovia Corp. will pay $160 million to settle a federal investigation into laundering of illegal drug profits through Mexican exchange houses in the largest case of its kind ever brought against a U.S. bank, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Time to upgrade your firm’s website?
10 sure signs that your web presence desperately needs a face-lift. Immediately
Assette EasyReports available through Fidelity’s Practice Perks program
Those of you who custody assets at Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services can now get a discount on Assette EasyReports through Fidelity's Practice Perks Program.
Managing your firm from afar
When Scott Leonard is sailing the Caribbean next year, he plans to have one hand on the tiller of his 50-foot catamaran and the other on his cell phone.
Turn client data into marketing gold
Over the past decade, increased competition and regulatory change have had a profound effect on the way financial products and services are sold.
CFP Board strips credentials from admitted Ponzi-schemer
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc on Friday placed Oren Eugene Sullivan Jr. under interim suspension, keeping the ex-broker from using its credentials.
What financial advisers can learn from Toyota’s PR nightmare
It's been a rough few weeks for Toyota Motor Corp. what with its recall of some 8 million automobiles due to faulty accelerators. Beyond the recall, Toyota didn't help itself with the way it handled the situation, with critics claiming the company was slow and not overly forthright in its response to the problem. Indeed, the once sterling image of the car maker has taken a shellacking in recent weeks. Lawmakers are probing the recall, consumer groups are angry, and tort lawyers are lining up to launch suits against the company. While financial advisers may not have to deal with a crisis of this magnitude, they often face problems involving their firms' credibility and reputation. Failing to handle the situation properly can have disastrous results, said Jane Ingalls, founder and president of Artemis Communications, who has coached financial advisory firms on crisis management. “As painful as it is to watch, the Toyota recall offers key lessons on crisis management,” Ms. Ingalls said.
Advisers aim to ramp up marketing spending
Forty-two percent of surveyed reps plan to boost such spending, while 41% plan to cut spending on bonuses.
10 ways to boost the value of your firm
If you're planning to sell your practice, or you just want to build it up, be advised: there are number of ways to increase what a firm is worth
