Brian O'Connell is a former Wall Street bond trader and author of the best-selling books, such as The 401k Millionaire. He's a regular contributor to major media business platforms. He resides in Doylestown, Pa. Brian may be reached at [email protected]
Financial services firms are getting fed up with high compliance costs, as 90 percent said they expect such costs to…
Several things contribute to clients outgrowing their advisors. In particular, advisors should be wary of these six things as they could be signs their client is ready to move on from the relationship.
Traditional advisory payment models are steadily disappearing as younger clients expect flexibility and competitive fees. With that in mind, many advisors are creating new payment options that are gaining favor.
A new Chubb survey finds that clients want their advisor to deliver property & casualty solutions, but only 28 percent of advisors offer these coverages.
A peek at leading indicators are signaling that further economic growth and stock market gains lie ahead, economic analysts say. In particular, manufacturing production and consumer confidence.
Planning experts offer advice on crafting a responsible retirement plan that takes into account sharply rising health care expenses. A retirement plan that shorts health care planning can leave a client high and dry, they say.
What if you have a client who needs to make a significant withdrawal during a bear market early in retirement? That scenario can devastate a nest egg, and avoiding it takes plenty of planning.
Optimism in the U.S. economy remains up among high-net-worth investors, but concerns are creeping in, a new survey finds. Inflation, tax changes and interest rates are chief among them.
A September agreement on a two-day deadline for completion of a securities’ transaction might not be in place very long. Some factions are pushing for a one-day cycle, analysts say.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the alimony tax deduction, which analysts say could prompt a spate of 2018 divorce filings, especially among high earners. Advisors should be prepared to untangle the finances.
Most clients are great, but some are not. Where do you draw the line with rude, demanding and/or stress-causing clients? We offer five best-practice tips.
The Dow Jones tanked badly over the first few days of February, spreading fear among investors. But analysts say the market is fine and the “correction” was much needed.
Wall Street players are happy with the steady hand promised by new Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The biggest issue by far is how the Fed handles interest rates and inflation and Powell is not pushing any drastic moves.
While millennials are big fans of robo-advice, older investors from the baby boomer generation are driving the concept, a new survey found. Aside from retirement services, older investors put fees and relaxation at the top of their list of concerns.
Forty seven percent of caregivers have had to tighten their belts financially because of their caregiving responsibilities, a report found. An alert financial advisor can help the caregiver avoid financial hardship.
Delaying Social Security us a time-honored strategy that can net a client up to 8 percent a year in benefits’ growth. But experts recognize there are times when an advisor must get on board with taking benefits early.
When it comes to planning for long-term care, advisors and clients have three main options — self-insure, long-term care insurance and life insurance with a long-term care rider. All have positives and negatives.
Should brokers be able to call themselves “financial advisors?” One organization doesn’t think so, and has sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking the agency to police the title use.
Many factors — among them, economic surprises, strong manufacturing activity, and a weak U.S. dollar — point to continued strong earnings across all sectors through 2018, economic analysts say.
The U.S. economy is rolling along on all cylinders. But analysts say there are reasons for concerns as many impacts are expected through the end of the year.
Turnkey asset management programs (TAMPs) have grown significantly in recent years, but that growth might be coming to an end due to a variety of factors.
The stock market continues to hum along generating strong growth, but could a correction be around the corner? Some analysts say real estate lending offers investors correction protection while maintaining strong returns.
Survey data is finding that younger investors are not benefiting from the bull stock market nearly as much as they should. Moreover, many young people don’t have much knowledge, or pay much attention to their investments.
Some advisors are torn over the value of long-term care insurance. Since most recipients will end up using the insurance, some say price hikes are inevitable. Others say no product or strategy better protects clients from end-of-life risk.
New investor confidence indices, along with the tax reform bill, point to another strong year on Wall Street. The key for advisors is to keep antsy investors from getting distracted by huge market gains.
The latest J.D. Power investor study found that nearly half of “emerging affluent investors” are likely to walk away from their current wealth management firm. What are advisors doing wrong?
A new survey confirms that divorce is highest in January, as couples look to move on after the holidays. More distressing is how many married people are unprepared for the financial burdens that come with splitting up.
Artificial intelligence investments are returning strong growth to investors and the future looks bright, if a little uncertain. Experts share a few tips to keep in mind when considering AI investments.
A new financial designation program from the American College is designed to meet the needs of advisors in a complex environment, experts say.
Exchange-traded funds moved past $4 trillion in global assets in 2017 as investors were drawn by low fees. Analysts expect that trend to continue as low-fee funds continue gaining popularity across investor segments.
Many wealthy people turn to collectibles and often fail to insure the valuables, or even determine how much they are worth, a new report states. Such collectibles are often bought with emotion and frequently make for bad investments.
Many advisors are confusing financial plans with retirement plans and clients could suffer in the end, analysts say. The differences can be small, but important if client’s don’t fully understand.
Higher interest rates, increased inflation, and stronger market volatility are some of the reasons that investors should eye the stock market warily in 2018. Can the good times continue?
As Americans consider retirement options, some are choosing to spend their golden years overseas. A good advisor can be a crucial asset for to clients pondering the pluses and minuses of such a move.
With new tax policy getting a green light from Congress, investment professionals are already scrambling to gauge the impact on…
Clients say they want information about environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments, but advisors have been slow to respond. The reasons for this are many, experts say.
General Electric’s decision to cut its dividend payout in half puts a dent in many retirement nest eggs. It also highlights the dangers in investing in dividend-paying stocks.
GDP growth might trend close to 4 percent in the fourth quarter, analysts say. Certain sectors are better market bets than others — the housing industry, for one.
A Dalbar study confirms that do-it-yourself investors are costing themselves big bucks by mistiming and mismanaging their investments. There is no replacing the value of a real financial advisor for most investors, analysts agree.
The Dow Jones soared more than 19 percent in 2017 through mid-November. Will the good times continue in 2018? Some analysts say a variety of factors indicate that markets will keep rising.
The price of bitcoin is soaring. Will it continue, as backers insist, or is the bitcoin price rise a sham investment, as some industry veterans say? Time will tell.
Shareholders and the stock market in general might be the big winners in a “repatriation tax,” which is designed to…
Right now, health insurance stocks are going great guns. Will the Trump administration’s changes to the health care law change that?
Portfolio rebalancing is a critical risk-mitigating strategy, portfolio managers say. So why do many clients overlook this key task? A new study aims to provide a few answers.
Top companies weigh in on the potential for tax reform, as well as who will be helped by the potentially historic changes to the tax code. Lowering the corporate tax rate could spur big economic growth, some analysts say.
Collectibles sometimes perform well as an investment — an authentic Babe Ruth jersey, for example. But much more often, an investment in a collectible is influenced by emotion and not recommended by advisors.
A new study confirms that robo-based investment advice is growing substantially. But larger investment firms are profiting much more than smaller firms and that’s driving the growth of digital-based investment advice to new heights.
A new study finds that baby boomers, gen Xers and millennials do not invest all that differently. But analysts say they probably should, given their different investment objectives and time horizons, as well as other factors.
Clients often overestimate their retirement income, analysts say. That means advisors have a tough job getting clients to focus on the difficult planning decisions.
Total 403(b) assets have grown from $357 billion in 1996 to nearly $1 trillion in 2017. With a little knowledge and work, advisors can be an asset to teachers and others relying on 403(b) plans to carry them through retirement.
Gold prices face threats from plenty of corners, including fascination with cryptocurrencies. But gold prices are strong for the moment and expected to be a good investment in the near-term, analysts say.
The rapidly expanding gig economy might be good for employers, but freelance working who lack employer-sponsored benefits and retirement plans need help. Advisors can provide that assistance.
Advisors who downplay portfolio tax management could making a big mistake — for themselves and for their clients. The result could cost the clients a lot of money and expose the advisor to fiduciary rule liability, experts say.
Advisors who deploy active portfolio management at their firms have several demands, including access to low-fee investments, and greater clarity/transparency on active management strategies.
Hurricanes Irma and Harvey have battered thousands of homes in Texas and Florida. What can financial advisors do to help victims through the recovery process? Plenty, it seems. These experts provide a checklist.
Bitcoin is priced at about $3,500 and has reached nearly $5,000 this summer. Is it time for advisors to consider cryptocurrency as a legitimate investment? Most advisors say the risks are too great.
More and more Americans are living to and past 100 years. The extended lifespan is straining retirement nest eggs as those nonworking years stretch several decades. What can advisors do?
Investors should favor investing in Japan and the Asian consumer, analysts say, but they should also expect growing pains. Growth in both Japan and China is outpacing U.S. and European barometers.
Woodbridge Wealth forecasts that private money will continue to play a significant role in the commercial real estate market. We recently interviewed Dayne Roseman of Woodbridge on this and other market topics.
Investors tend to get nervous with so much volatility threatening the world markets, analysts say. Advisors can help wary investors stay the course by reminding them that the markets are solid and stable.
