Nerd's Eye View

MAY 29, 2025

But delivering those recommendations in a way that clients can understand and act on is a separate skill. Because when advice is clear and comprehensible, clients are more likely to act on it and gain peace of mind from knowing there's a well-considered strategy in place! Fortunately, advisors don't need to start from scratch.

Clients 130

Clients Communication Tax Planning Financial Advice 130

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 13, 2025

From there, we have several articles on investment planning: How interested financial advisors can evaluate different types of private investments, whose return profiles tend to be more opaque and challenging to analyze compared to publicly traded instruments Why one author sees a confluence of factors (including a relatively low cost of capital and (..)

Financial Planner 223

Financial Planner Financial Advisor Tax Planning Clients 223

Wealth Management

OCTOBER 8, 2024

Learn how to attract and retain the growing number of UHNW clients.

Clients 279

Clients Numbers 279

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Which could prove to be a boon for the financial advice industry as more consumers are willing to entrust their assets to an advisor (while at the same time possibly making it tougher for some advisors to differentiate themselves primarily by how they put their clients' interests first?). Read More.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Financial Advice Retirement Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Over the past decade, a growing number of advisors have expanded into offering comprehensive financial planning services, reflecting a shift that not only helps them stand out from (increasingly commoditized) portfolio management offerings but also supports clients' broader financial goals.

Financial Planning 235

Financial Planning Sales Planning Retirement 235

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 30, 2024

As fiduciaries, financial advisors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that exist between themselves and their current and potential clients. But no matter the size or directness of the conflict, it still needs to be disclosed to clients, at a minimum on the advisor's Form ADV Part 2A brochure.

Advertising 246

Advertising Commission Marketing Marketing 246

Wealth Management

OCTOBER 15, 2024

In the third quarter, the wirehouse doubled the number of net new clients with $10 million or more in assets from a year ago.

Clients 277

Clients Numbers Assets 277

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

In the early days of financial planning, serving clients often meant developing transactional relationships focused on facilitating trades and selling insurance. Today, the industry has evolved further, with a growing emphasis on aligning financial decisions with clients' personal priorities and life goals.

Clients 130

Clients Planning Financial Planner Financial Planning 130

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 22, 2025

Although inquiries into new projects continued to increase at a relatively slow rate, the value of newly signed design contracts decreased further in December as clients remained hesitant to commit to new work. And prospects for future work remain soft as well. In one brighter spot, backlogs at firms remained steady and strong at 6.5

Clients 270

Clients Numbers Economics Investing 270

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 28, 2025

An advisory firm's website often serves as the hub for attracting new clients, with various forms of content acting as 'spokes' that attract prospective clients to the firm. By aligning website content to the AIDA journey, firms can engage visitors in a way that encourages them along a sequential path toward becoming clients.

Clients 147

Clients Marketing Marketing Education 147

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JANUARY 5, 2025

By Antoinette Tuscano, MDRT senior content specialist When clients dont understand what you can offer them and object, theyre not saying no to you. As a financial advisor, you can ask clients questions and discover the bias behind their objections. Not thinking big enough I focus on clients who are self-made business owners.

Clients 103

Clients Insurance Coverage Planning Insurance 103

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2025

Which reflects similar results from recently released Kitces Research on Advisor Productivity, which found that asset-based fees are used by 92% of surveyed advisory teams (and are the primary revenue source for 86% of respondents), with 42% using hourly or project fees, 37% offering retainer or subscription fees, and 34% receiving commissions (with (..)

Financial Planner 228

Financial Planner Commission Communication Clients 228

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Mann, MBA, CFP I find that so many of my clients, regardless of income, have no idea how much money they are saving. First, I would ask clients how much they were saving each year for retirement. I would take those numbers and spend a lot of time carefully crafting a financial plan and creating proposals. By Jennifer P.

Clients 105

Clients CFP Financial Planning Retirement 105

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

And for #AdvisorTech companies who want to submit their tech announcements for consideration in future issues, please submit to TechNews@kitces.com !

Estate Planning 243

Estate Planning Planning Communication Clients 243

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 10, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the "Social Security Fairness Act" was signed into law this week, eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provisions, which previously reduced the Social Security benefits (..)

Financial Planner 189

Financial Planner Clients Financial Advice Numbers 189

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 24, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that while overall financial advisor headcount remains relatively flat, the RIA channel continues to gain share in terms of both headcount (as brokers break away to start their own independent firms and aspiring advisors seek (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Clients Commission 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Cristina is the CEO of Mana Financial Life Design, an RIA based in Los Angeles, California (but works virtually with clients nationwide), that oversees approximately $70 million in assets under management for 119 client households. Read More.

Financial Advisor 228

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Planning 228

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Senate appears poised to pass legislation that would eliminate the long-established WEP and GPO provisions and increase the Social Security benefits of many state and local workers in the process From there, we have several articles on investment planning: While index funds are often viewed as 'passive' investments, advisors can add value for their (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Certification CFP Education 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

Further, amidst grumbling from some firms, incoming CEO Rick Wurster reiterated a pledge that Schwab (which offers its own direct wealth management services) will not seek to compete for clients with RIAs on its platform, seeing opportunities to pursue prospective clients currently unserved by either group.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Retail Retirement Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 9, 2025

These results largely match results from the recent Kitces Research Study on Advisor Productivity, which found that the typical fee schedule for firms charging on a graduated basis remains at 100 basis points (bps) for client assets up to $1 million, then declines to 90 bps at $2 million, 75 bps at $5 million, and 60 bps at $10 million in assets.

Financial Planner 245

Financial Planner Financial Advice Clients Retirement Planning 245

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 30, 2025

Notably, the survey identified differences in workplace flexibility by role (with client-facing advisors working more days per week in the office) and by experience (with newer firm employees more likely to have more in-office days each week).

Financial Planner 225

Financial Planner Risk Tolerance Retirement Retirement Planning 225

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 3, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with a recent survey indicating that a majority of advisors are viewing new client acquisition as their primary challenge in the current competitive environment for financial advice (followed by compliance and technology management) and suggests (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Financial Advice Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Read More.

Financial Planner 188

Financial Planner CFP Certification Retirement Planning 188

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 16, 2025

Notably, though, this legislation is subject to change as it appears headed for a vote in the full House and as the Senate considers its own version of the tax legislation.

Financial Planner 239

Financial Planner Financial Advice Education Taxes 239

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The report suggests this might be due in part to increased RIA valuations and the assumption of some firm founders that next-generation employees won't be financially able to buy out the firm from them, though additional data indicates that many firms don't have career paths in place that could help next-generation advisors envision their path to firm (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Insurance Coverage Insurance Valuation 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Also in industry news this week: NASAA has proposed an amendment to its broker-dealer conduct model rule that would restrict the use of the terms “advisor” and “adviser” for broker-dealers and their registered representatives who are not also investment advisers or investment adviser representatives A recent study suggests that (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Taxes Tax Planning 246

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JANUARY 26, 2025

And I’ve been asked a few times, At what point did your numbers start becoming consistent and you were making MDRT regularly? Our production became more consistent when we started becoming deliberate with the words we use when interacting with prospects or clients.

Clients 101

Clients Financial Advisor Numbers Management 101

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 17, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that at a time when brokerage firms' cash sweep programs come under increased scrutiny (and as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates), Charles Schwab (the largest RIA custodian) continues to slash sweep rates for client (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Retirement Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 31, 2025

Also in industry news this week: While RIA M&A deal flow hit record levels in 2024 (both in terms of volume and the speed of completing them), firm valuations saw relatively modest gains In its latest annual regulatory oversight report, FINRA joined the SEC in flagging the potential risks to firm and client data from the use of third-party vendors (..)

Financial Planner 245

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Compliance Valuation 245

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 31, 2024

Stacey is the chief operating officer of Morton Wealth, an RIA based in Calabasas, California, that oversees approximately $3 billion in assets under management for 1,300 client households. My guest on today's podcast is Stacey McKinnon.

Management 244

Management Financial Advisor Clients Numbers 244

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 2, 2024

This month's edition kicks off with the news that the retail brokerage platform Robinhood is acquiring RIA custodian TradePMR, which appears to be less about Robinhood wanting to compete with the likes of Schwab and Fidelity in the custodial space and more about keeping the assets of its wealthier customers "on-platform" by giving them referrals to (..)

Clients 130

Clients Portfolio Management Numbers Financial Advisor 130

Wealth Management

JUNE 10, 2025

Number 8860726. on Tuesday with a series of workshops focused on alternative investments, artificial intelligence and high-net-worth clients. The panels centered around a general theme of growth, whether how to diversify portfolios to grow, strategies to boost AUM and clients and AI best practices to improve an advisors' business.

Wealth Management 255

Wealth Management Management Estate Planning Business Planning 255

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 28, 2025

Which suggests that, amidst ongoing debate over fiduciary-related regulations, an advisor's status as a fiduciary could both lead to greater client trust (both in their individual advisor relationship and perhaps in the financial advice industry as a whole) and, ultimately, higher client retention rates.

Financial Planner 228

Financial Planner Retirement Retirement Planning Clients 228

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 10, 2024

From an advisor's perspective, TCJA's impending expiration raises the importance of planning for clients who will potentially be impacted, which, given the law's broad scope, could be nearly every client. Read More.

Taxes 246

Taxes Clients Planning Numbers 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 6, 2025

FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2 FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2 FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2

Startup 188

Startup Financial Advisor Clients Portfolio Management 188

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 11, 2025

Also in industry news this week: NASAA this week approved model rule amendments that would restrict the use of the titles "advisor" and "adviser" by broker-dealers (and their registered representatives) who are not also dually registered as investment advisers, which, if adopted by state regulators, would largely bring state rules on this issue in (..)

Financial Planner 162

Financial Planner Communication Commission Clients 162

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 18, 2025

Which could create opportunities for firms to seek opportunities to move 'upmarket' by trying to add new HNW clients who might not have an advice relationship (or whose current advisor doesn't provide sufficiently comprehensive service).

Financial Planner 195

Financial Planner Risk Tolerance Estate Planning Clients 195