11 Most Read Articles of the Week!

1. 2022 Markets: Tailwinds Shift To Headwinds

While no one knows what 2022 holds in store for investors, our concern is that it should not foster the same optimism as 2021. The economic and financial environments are shifting rapidly making the 2022 outlook much more difficult than this past year. — Michael P. Lebowitz

2. When Does an Investor Need a Financial Advisor?

“It’s not rocket science.”  Members of the public have misconceptions about how financial advisors add value.  TV doesn’t help, since advisors are often featured in three roles: Murder victim, thief or good romantic catch.  Investors often think using a robo advisor or buying a balanced mutual fund allows them to cut out the middleman. — Bryce Sanders

3. Understanding What Matters Most to Investors

Our industry has taken such an interesting view on risk as it relates to how much risk is someone going to feel comfortable taking in the markets. How much risk can they afford to take? Or how much risk do they need to take? But yet, we have done very little as an industry to look at how much anxiety the client has in general. — Eric Clarke

4. Money and What Makes Life Worth Living

When it comes to wellbeing there are three major categories: emotional, physical, and financial. In the survey, family and friends show up as separate categories from mental health. I would argue that they are a component of mental health. When combined in that manner, emotional wellbeing would be number one, followed by financial wellbeing, with physical wellbeing finishing third. — Rick Kahler

5. Overcoming the Age Bias Prospects Have About Young Advisors

For young financial advisors, nothing is more challenging than overcoming the age bias that older clients have against them. I hear it often from advisors who come through our training programs—that feeling as though they are viewed more like a child or grandchild than a financial advisor. It creates a perceived impression that young advisors don’t have the experience, skills, or knowledge to appreciate the circumstances of older clients, let alone guide them in making critical financial decisions. — Don Connelly

6. Expect Social Commerce to Emerge in 2022

To be fair, social commerce – the intersection of online retail and social media – is already emerging, but 2022 could be the year when this concept really generates more attention. With that, there will inevitably be some interesting investment implications for advisors to ponder. Add to that, clients might be ahead of the curve here because they're likely already familiar with many of the growth stocks that have leverage to this investment thesis. If nothing else, plenty of clients are already devoted online shoppers, users of social media or both. — Todd Shriber

7. Why COVID-19 Is Changing the Way We View Money

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the way people live their lives. From mask mandates and stay-at-home orders to vaccines and protective strategies, the last two years have had no shortage of drastic changes to how we live day-to-day. While the physical health of our communities will always be at the forefront of this discussion, there has also been a massive shift in the way people interact with their personal finances. The pandemic may not have only changed how you spend money but has likely shifted the way you view your career and overall relationship with your financial circumstances. What do these shifts mean today, and how could they impact the way you view money forever? — Michael G. Rivas

8. The Unspoken Benefits of a Quality Reputation

In life and in business, all we have is our reputation. It’s the glue that can either make or break us. By understanding how you can optimize and enhance your local community and digital reputation, you can increase your inbound referrals, strengthen client relationships and create stability within your business. As you know, building a quality reputation takes time, but it is well worth the investment. If you want your business to survive 5, 10, 30+ years into the future, your reputation is a cornerstone to your business’ success and livelihood. — Rebecca Hourihan

9. Stop Taking On Wrong-Fit Clients

If someone isn’t right for your business, you’re probably not the right advisor for them. Agree? It’s important that we create win-win situations. What I’m about to share with you might take a little bit of courage, certainly a little bit of discipline, and a mindset of abundance. — Bill Cates

10. Don’t Let Journalists Turn You Away From This Early-stage Tech Opportunity

Most people had no idea what the internet would become. Even fewer folks were thinking about how to invest in it. But those who saw the incredible potential of the internet went on to create the world’s most important businesses. Think Jeff Bezos and Amazon (AMZN)… Marc Benioff and Salesforce (CRM)… Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Google (GOOG). Of course, entrepreneurs weren’t the only ones to cash in on the internet. Countless everyday investors made life-changing money as stocks like Netflix rose over 3,000%. But the truth is, most investors did NOT buy into these incredible stocks early on. Do you know why? — Justin Spittler

11. Finding Her Voice and Creating a Legacy With Amy Hart-Clyne

Amy Hart Clyne has dedicated her career to helping prosperous families fulfill the promise and potential of their legacies and achieve wealth momentum. As Chief Knowledge and Learning Officer, Amy brings more than 25 years of experience in the ultra-wealth space. She recently co-authored a book, Finding her Voice and Creating a Legacy: Portraits of Pioneering Women Leading Wealthy Families, in which she interviewed a large number of women from prominent families and shares their stories. — Permission to Succeed