Gaining Perspective

Dr. Suzanne Peterson delivered a keynote presentation at the NAPFA spring conference, and Bob discusses her penetrating insights about the unconventional questions advisors should ask to select for exceptional new hires. Bob also tells us what he really thinks about Reg BI - and what is in store for attendees of his upcoming conference.

Several years ago, Allison Schrager walked into the Moonlite BunnyRanch, a legal brothel in Nevada. She was there to study economics – specifically how the owners and sex workers dealt with and reduced the risks of their professions. Allison discusses the lessons from that experience, as well as a number of other professions she has studied - including the recent Jeopardy champion, James Holtzhauer.

ONLN is the only ETF that lets investors tap into the explosive growth of online retail by pinpointing retailers that principally sell online—and then zeroing in on its largest, most iconic companies, like Amazon and Alibaba.

A barrier to ESG and SRI adoption is the one-size-fits-all approach inherent in mutual funds and ETFs. But a new solution allows advisors to create SMAs that are customized based on each of your clients’ values, needs and preferences.

Do you play the piano with one or both hands? That is how Nasdaq Dorsey Wright describes the relationship between using fundamental and technical research for thousands of advisors who use both in their investment practice. Technical analysis focuses on the steadfast relationship between supply and demand in the markets. No firm has been as dominant and successful in the field of technical analysis and research than that of Nasdaq Dorsey Wright, which has been helping clients see through the day-to-day noise of market movements by providing a clear understanding of where market strength lies at all times.

A white label approach streamlines the ETF launching process, by using filings and approvals that are already in place with the SEC

If there is one asset class where advisors have taken a do-it-yourself approach, it is municipal bonds. Advisors and their clients often buy individual muni bonds and hold them until maturity. But the muni market is very broad, diverse and complex – and those are the ingredients that favor professional management.

Recessionary fears have subsided and all signs are that the global economy has stabilized, albeit at a less-than-desired growth rate. But risks abound – tariffs on Chinese goods that could trigger a trade war, Brexit negotiations, rising oil prices and a possible Fed rate hike.

Ever since the growth of robo advisors began to accelerate nearly a decade ago, the dominant trend facing advisors has been the commoditization of investment advice. With the proliferation of high-quality, low-cost investment solutions, advisors have increasingly outsourced their investing, freeing up valuable resources to help clients in other ways. But that doesn’t mean that all outsourced solutions are created equal or that advisors cannot add value through the investment choices that are made on behalf of their clients. Here’s what advisors need to know when choosing an outsourcing solution.

The most successful advisory firms are building their technology framework around their optimal client and the experience they want to deliver to that client. What’s most important when designing an experience is considering how it adds value to the advisor-client relationship.