1. After Two Consecutive Pauses, What Is Next for the Federal Reserve?
As widely anticipated, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to leave the Federal funds rate unchanged at a target range of 5.25%-5.50%. The statement language was largely unchanged from September, though language around data were firmer. The description of recent economic activity was upgraded from “solid” to “strong” and the pace of job gains improved from “slowed” to “moderated”, reflecting the strong 3Q GDP print and uptick in hiring in recent months. Moreover, the statement maintained the language in “determining the extent of additional policy firming that may be appropriate”, allowing for some flexibility to tighten further. — Jordan Jackson
2. 8 Strategies To Maximize Referral Partners
The value of a great center of influence or Referral Partner can far surpass the value of your biggest client. Are you maximizing your Referral Partners? Your Referral Partners become your own Personal Sales Force… and the good news is that you don’t usually have to pay them a single penny in commissions or finder’s fees. — Bill Cates
3. How Life Insurers Can Provide Differentiated Retirement Benefits
In this article, we explore how two products can be used to meet investors’ savings and protection needs: permanent life insurance (PLI) and a deferred income annuity with increasing income potential (DIA with IIP), which represents deferred income annuities with persistency bonuses and non-guaranteed dividends. Can integrating PLI and a DIA with IIP into a retirement plan provide value beyond an investment-only strategy? — Justin Singer
4. Why Middle-Income Folks Need Advisors
Registered investment advisors frequently focus on affluent clients or those that are close to meeting that standard. For example, it’s common for practices to set minimum assets thresholds for new clients, some of which can be as high as $100,000, $250,000 and beyond. — Todd Shriber
5. Does Your Client Know Where Their Money Goes?
You can’t invest if you have no money. You cannot save either. As a financial professional, you help people with financial planning as part of your job. This can extend into budgeting. Surveys show people want financial education. Unfortunately, some of the sources they find on their own might be trying to sell them a product, using “financial planning” to create a need for a certain product sold by the firm. You can help your friends, prospects and clients by talking about financial planning. You might be taking the long view, but they might become clients or be a source of referrals. — Bryce Sanders
6. From Boring to Brilliant: How Financial Advisors Can Create Content That Captivates Their Audience
How do you as a financial advisor create content that connects with your audience? How do you grab their attention, and encourage them to take action? By understanding the needs and interests of your target audience and tailoring your content to meet those needs. Know what doesn’t work? Industry jargon and fluff. — Niki Clark
7. What Are Prospects ACTUALLY Saying
Matt and Micah are discussing the significance of real-life experience and action in comprehending client interactions. Genuine knowledge happens when you roll up your sleeves and actively engage with prospects and clients rather than relying solely on prescribed strategies. They’re sharing that advisors need to strive for an open-minded, value-focused approach to client meetings and to prioritize curiosity and effective communication over technical prowess. Plus, they’re reminding us that financial advising is not all about numbers; it’s about injecting energy and enthusiasm into every conversation. — The Perfect RIA
8. You Inherited an Annuity. Now What?
It used to be, your options were limited if you inherited a nonqualified annuity — and the tax headaches that might accompany it. That all changed when the IRS agreed that the beneficiary of an inherited annuity is the new owner of the original contract, and meets the requirements to make a 1035 exchange. As the beneficiary, this gives you the freedom to select a new annuity tailored to your financial goals. — Lincoln Financial Group
9. What Should You Do With Your Bond ETFs?
If you’ve been using bond ETFs to produce income, now is a good time to consider moving to a bond ladder comprised of individual bonds. Yields have risen and we are now seeing opportunities to lock in a 5%-6% annual rate using individual corporate and/or municipal bonds with a 5 to 6-year average portfolio duration. — Nate Tonsager
10. Build a Tech Stack or Buy It? The Calculus Has Changed Dramatically
Amid all the market uncertainty this year, it has not been surprising to see many financial technology companies grow as advisors and broker-dealers move to upgrade their technology stacks to adjust to the increasingly complex needs of their clients. When it comes to getting the best tech stack for your wealth management business, firms usually start with one critical decision: Do we build it or buy it? — Joe Stensland
11. The Most Preferred, and Most Effective, Client Communication Tool?
Engaging with clients and prospects is critical to getting the right business from the right people, and there is a surefire client communication winner (still): The humble electronic newsletter. Let’s begin by thinking about what you are trying to achieve with any client engagement method and you will probably come up with these core reasons. — Tony Vidler