11 Most Read Articles of the Week!

1. Why Aren’t Terrified Investors Selling?

Investors are terrified. Such is what you would assume from recent mainstream media headlines and CNBC’s continuous run of “Markets In Turmoil.” There are also plenty of indicators suggesting that retail investors are terrified about financial markets. For example, the net percentage of bullish responses from the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) and the Institutional Investors index (INVI) are near previous bear market lows. Such is despite the sharp rally over the last two weeks. — Lance Roberts

2. How to Tell When a Prospect Is Ready to Become a Client

In their interactions with prospects, financial advisors reach a critical juncture when they must determine when or if a prospect is ready to become a client. If they make the wrong determination, it will likely result in a missed opportunity. Trying to close prospects before they are ready can push them away, while waiting too long can cause them to lose interest. — Don Connelly

3. Wall Street Is Finally Valuing This Crypto Like a Stock

Today I'm going to share a new investing angle with you. One that could let you collect returns between 171.5% and 357.3%. Normally, it’s silly to project profits down to the precise decimal point. But these are not my estimates… A sophisticated group of analysts at financial network Bloomberg calculated them. — Dan Steinhart

4. Why Should They Choose You?

If you want ideal prospects to choose you over any number of other highly qualified professional advisers then you must have the ability to succinctly articulate what makes working with you special.  Why should they choose you? — Tony Vidler

5. Clarifying the Many Misconceptions About ESG

Right now active ESG management is alive and thriving. While there has been a slowdown in flows overall with the downdraft in the markets, the lead that passive ESG has really come into parity with active ESG as investors are seeing the benefit of active management, while we're in a market dislocation, there are so many misconceptions about ESG. — Mary Green

6. Do Successful Financial Advisors Actually NEED Social Media?

If you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard this before: social media and smartphones are absolutely a dopamine driven and designed addiction.  They are supposed to make you want to use them more and more to be ‘connected’...for whatever that is worth. — Mike Garrison

7. The Consumer is Getting Squeezed

Consumers are being squeezed by negative real wage growth and inflation at 40-year highs. As a result, consumer sentiment is declining, and personal consumption habits are changing as people struggle to help make ends meet. — Michael P. Lebowitz

8. See You Over There, Bear

This remains the most complex investment environment of our lives. Bubbles are bursting everywhere, and inflation is spiking like a beach volleyball player at the net. Recession is on the lips of many forecasters, and the Fed is about to cause a massive shift by changing just one letter in their policy approach: QE becomes QT. But even as the long, bubbly era of Quantitative Easing shifts to Quantitative Tightening, the fact remains: this is THE BEST time of our lives to be tactical traders, instead of traditional investors. — Rob Isbitts

9. NARSSA Can Help Advisors Improve Yield on Clients’ Social Security Benefits

Typically, the advisor/client conversation regarding Social Security revolves around when to claim benefits. As the Social Security Administration (SSA) details, a client can claim benefits as early as age 62, but the longer that claiming is delayed up until age 70, the greater the benefits received. — Todd Shriber

10. Can I Really Earn 9% on I-Bonds?

You may have caught a headline or heard some murmurers from colleagues about I Bonds and their currently high interest. If so, you’ve likely wondered how they have that interest rate in this market environment or if you should be using them. — Haley Modlin

11. ESG and Impact Investing at War

The war in Ukraine has affected the ESG/Impact investing community in a number of major ways. First of all, through reduced inflows. The Institute of International Finance (IIF) reported that ESG funds saw inflows halve in Q1 2022 amidst Russia’s war in Ukraine, volatility in ESG heavy tech shares, and higher oil prices diverting funds into non-ESG energy stocks. ESG Q1 fund flows of $75 billion were at their lowest level in seven quarters. IIF data also showed that flows into ESG bonds were also down sharply in Q1, dropping to $14billion from $27billion. — Bill Hortz