Knowledge and Insight
Take advantage of the wealth of information in the Knowledge and Insight Digest. Read curated and organized industry articles.
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'Robo Advisors'? How to Fight Back
Added on March 2014 in Manage Your Practice
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Summary: My vision for the months and years to come tells me that a number of well-funded, low-cost online portfolio management services - what many in our industry dismissively call "robo advisors" - are going to disrupt the lives of planners who have the grave disadvantage of being made out of flesh and blood. Before long, online asset management firms like Wealthfront and Betterment are going to pour their venture capital dollars into widespread advertising campaigns. Smart advisors will compete head-to-head by anchoring their value to clients on their advice, rather than their portfolio management.
Want Sustainable Advisory Firm Growth? Automation Is Key
Added on March 2014 in Manage Your Practice
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Summary: A white paper released by SEI Advisor Network and ActiFi Inc. in March challenged advisors to integrate technology and automation more efficiently in order to run a more successful practice. Far too often, knowledge about client relationships and key processes resides in the heads of one or two people. The business risks are high, especially for growing firms, as balls get dropped, client service suffers and onboarding new employees is virtually impossible,” says the paper, authored by SEI’s Raef Lee and John Anderson, and ActiFi’s Spenser Segal.
Voices: Dave Polstra, on Realizing the Limits of Your Expertise
Added on March 2014 in Manage Your Practice
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Summary:One of the most useful lessons I've learned during my time as an adviser to corporate executives is the importance of developing an area of expertise. It's one of the founding principles that my partners and I operate on as a firm and it's a good concept for us to remind ourselves of as advisers: You cannot be all things to all people.
Making a 'Lifestyle Practice' Work
Added on March 2014 in Manage Your Practice
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Summary: Lifestyle practices get a bad rap. But one of my main goals when starting my RIA was to build a business and a life that met my needs. I’m taking some steps that intentionally provide balance to both sides -- and encourage you to do so as well. Here are a few strategies that are working for me.
Prepare to be patient if you aim to serve wealthy business owners
Added on March 2014 in Manage Your Practice
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Summary: The nation's business owners are an affluent bunch and they require a broad swath of services from a financial adviser — but the potential pay-off to advisers may be many years down the road. About one-third of the nation's wealthy investors, those who have $1.5 million or more to invest, are business owners, and that proportion jumps dramatically as wealth level rises, a new study finds.
