11 Most Read Articles of the Week!

1. How To Be A Conservative Investor At All-Time Stock Market Highs

How to tame your inner FOMO. Stocks and ETFs have ticker symbols. These are typically 3 or 4 letters, and that system has been used to identify and trade since the days of ticker tape. One ticker that is not currently used is this one: FOMO. It has become a popular investor expression lately, even if it is not the ticker symbol for a company’s stock, or for an ETF. — Rob Isbitts

2. Is Google Going Head-to-Head With Banks?

We talk a lot about Big Tech moving into big banking … but then we have talked about that for years. Now, with the revamped strategy for Google towards payments and finance, is Big Tech finally making its move into big banking? — Chris Skinner

3. The Vaccine-Induced Rally Keeps Moving Forward

Because of the short-term tug of war between optimism and reality, it is fairly difficult to proclaim BUY or SELL calls for the near-term future. Rather, in the short-term, I feel more comfortable staying neutral and calling HOLD for broader markets. There will be optimistic days where investors rotate into cyclicals and value stocks. — Matthew Levy

4. What Makes a Millionaire More Likely To Create a Trust?

Trusts have long been perceived as secret devices used only by the super-wealthy.  Wood-paneled rooms full of bankers, luxurious parties and events, expensive art - these are all the pictures conjured in the minds of those that don’t really understand the concept of a “trust”.  In fact, a trust is merely a legal tool that can help investors with multiple levels of wealth to ease their estate planning and the process of passing their assets to the next generation. — Catherine McBreen

5. Are You the Real Deal or a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

Have you ever encountered a situation at a social event, where someone you don’t know starts chatting with you. You are enjoying the conversation and thinking you like the person, only to find out a few minutes, hours or even days later that they weren’t really interested in you, they were actually prospecting. You know this because when you say you aren’t interested in their service, they turn away from you and you never hear from them again. — Paulette Filion and Judy Paradi

6. How to Uncover a Firm’s Culture in a Time of Virtual Due Diligence and Beyond

Culture can encompass an organization’s system of values and priorities, and influence every decision. It’s the undercurrent that directs, either subtly or overtly, the choices made and the paths taken. While a firm may endeavor to articulate it’s intended culture, it’s more often “in the eye of the beholder”—that is, how an individual experiences it, through the organization’s actions rather than words. — Barbara Herman

7. Embrace The Third Wave Of Financial Planning

Technology has always been essential to financial advisors’ ability to gather, analyze and simulate data. It continues to revolutionize financial planning and the ways in which financial advisors serve and delight their clients today. Join Anthony Stich, Chief Operating Officer of Advicent, as discusses the history of financial planning, how the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the financial advisor service model, and the role technology can play in driving your practice to be more profitable, more efficient, and more prepared to deliver a stunning client experience. — Anthony Stich, The Authority

8. Is the Narrative All “Priced in” To the Stock Market?

Is the narrative all “priced in?” As discussed over the past couple of weeks, investors have gone “all in.” With the markets now extremely extended, what should investors do now? — Lance Roberts

9. You Aren’t Relevant if You Aren’t Online

Key Trends Influencing the Mix. Digital marketing techniques continue to challenge traditional marketing techniques. For one, digital marketing can be much more targeted than traditional marketing techniques. — Alexis Whitehouse

10. It’s Easier to Meet Wealthy People Socially vs. Getting Them on the Phone

It’s like living on the International Space Station.  During the pandemic, no one is socializing in person with anyone.  It’s all done via video conference, social media, text and e-mail.  In my opinion, this isn’t a permanent condition.  We will see each other face to face, although there’s likely to be more spacing and less hugging.  Financial advisors will still need to grow their practices. — Bryce Sanders

11. Three Issues Financial Advisors Should Address to Become Trusted

Financial Advisors face a huge trust deficit. That’s significant because who holds a more important position of trust than an advisor who can impact when people retire, how they live in retirement, and what’s their financial security late in life when they need it the most? For advisors whose livelihood depends on attracting new clients and retaining them, that’s a major obstacle to overcome every day. — Don Connelly