Knowledge and Insight

Three RIA Adventures that Led to Dramatic Asset Growth

Added on October 2013 in Thought Leadership

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Summary: Three advisors shared their strategies to take advantage of opportunities for growth within their firms.They attributed much of their success to taking risks and trying something new, even if it wasn’t popularat the time. One  strategy was taking advantage of the opportunity to assist in forming non-profit retirement plans. Another advisor worked specifically with high-yield bonds

A talent shortage looms as the industry booms

Added on April 2012 in Thought Leadership

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Summary: The profound demographic trend that is boosting demand for investment advice — the millions of baby boomers retiring or planning their retirement — also is threatening the financial advisory sector with a talent shortage.

A 2011 survey by Cerulli Associates Inc. showed that 22% of advisers were below 40 and only 5% were younger than 30. The average age of advisers was 49.6, up one year from 2010. The average for wirehouse advisers was 50.6.

Innovation Is About Arguing, Not Brainstorming. Here's How To Argue Productively

Added on April 2012 in Thought Leadership

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Summary: Turns out that brainstorming isn’t the golden ticket to innovation after all. Science shows that brainstorms can activate a neurological fear of rejection and that groups are not necessarily more creative than individuals. Brainstorming can actually be detrimental to good ideas.

But the idea behind brainstorming is right. To innovate, we need environments that support imaginative thinking. We need to work both collaboratively and individually. We also need a healthy amount of heated discussion, even arguing. We need places where someone can throw out a thought, have it critiqued, and not feel so judged that they become defensive and shut down. Yet this creative process is not necessarily supported by the traditional tenets of brainstorming: group collaboration, all ideas held equal, nothing judged.

The 6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers

Added on March 2012 in Thought Leadership

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Summary: After two decades of advising organizations large and small, my colleagues and I have formed a clear idea of what's required of you in this role. Adaptive strategic leaders — the kind who thrive in today’s uncertain environment – do six things well:

Rough markets cull the advisory herd but in a healthy way, new Cerulli data shows

Added on August 2011 in Thought Leadership

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Summary: Fourteen thousand advisors fell by the wayside from 2009 to 2010 but dually registered advisors and RIAs have bucked that trend, gaining strength in numbers, analysts with Cerulli Associates say in a new study. In that time period, the number of advisors dropped from 334,160 to 320,378 – a loss of 4.1%, according to the Boston-based company its annual Advisor Market Sizing analysis.  Dually registered advisors grew a whopping 10.2% from 11,591 to 12,773.