Life Events

Advisors are realizing that they don’t need to retire as soon as they expected.

Municipal-bond investors still have concerns about the future of higher education even as schools in the U.S. look to a more normal-looking academic year thanks to Covid-19 vaccinations.

I can shed some light on one of the most significant issues for many: the effective date of any increase in the long-term capital gains tax rate.

No advisor has ever gotten into the profession because they were passionate about compliance.

Congress is aiming to hobble China’s ability to recruit scientists and academics in the U.S. as part of broader moves in Washington to confront the Asian nation’s growing clout.

Preston Fregia has wanted to be a lawyer since he was 11. For a year the Chicago native woke up at dawn every day to study for the Law School Admission Test before heading to his full-time job as a recruiter for a staffing company.

Several misconceptions about going independent leave advisors fearful about making their next career move.

Financial advisors should not shy from thinking of themselves as salespeople. It has been said that if it weren’t for salespeople, the world would be a giant warehouse.

We are changing the name of our firm. We have recently acquired a couple of individual advisors who had run practices using their own names.

Rising inequality is but one symptom that the U.S. has swung to a society that is characterized by a disproportionate focus on individuals over the collective good. A national priority, similar to the Apollo moon project of the 1960s, is needed to reverse that trend, and there is an obvious candidate.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says controlling inflation expectations is key to achieving the central bank’s twin goals of price stability and maximum employment.

Here are several ways you can make yourself a household name in your area, and they don’t involve throwing thousands of dollars at an advertising budget.

As predicted by theory, increased investor demand has resulted in higher returns for public stocks with good environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics. Unfortunately, that means future returns will be lower for those stocks. New research confirms that this is also the case for private “impact” investments.

Here are the components of a succession communications plan and the steps to take to put them together.

I'm not a big fan of the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement, which advocates extreme frugality to retire as early as age 30.

Medicare isn’t a “one-and-done” deal. You need to revisit the conversation regularly depending on the time of year or certain events to ensure it is still in line with your clients’ needs and budgets.

There is a significant difference among the members of social media platforms. If you’ve seen little ROI from social media, you are spending too much time or money on the wrong platform.

Two Congressional chairs have authorized a review of target-date funds (TDFs). The last such review was in 2009, and all that changed was that risk increased. It would be a shame if this initiative failed to produce results.

Claiming Social Security too early is economically equivalent to delaying claiming, withdrawing $100,000 from a portfolio, and setting it on fire.

A successful entrepreneur can spend decades building and nurturing a business only to have much of its value unnecessarily evaporate because they didn’t plan appropriately for, or properly execute, an eventual liquidity event.

Warren Buffett is getting out from the middle of a potentially contentious split.

Estate planning for the recently engaged couple is a challenge. It's something that is often overlooked, even by financial advisors. Yet it matters, as I've seen in my own practice.

REO Speedwagon’s epic hit provides several useful insights regarding the sweeping tax and estate planning changes under consideration by the Biden administration.

The Biden administration’s proposals won’t have much impact on the merely wealthy, but some changes will have huge consequences for the very wealthy.

U.S. pork plants are slowing down, threatening to derail the biggest rally pig farmers have seen in years and potentially raising costs for meat giants such as JBS SA.

When Congress passed the SECURE Act in 2019, it was with the noble intention of helping those Americans who work in small businesses plan for retirement.

Millions of people – many of whom are excellent financial planning prospects – may not realize that they have to deal with cross-border planning complications which, if handled clumsily or not at all, will significantly reduce their wealth.

The reasons that block us from acting to support our future financial well-being can be both internal and external. If you are putting off a financial action that you know is important, consider whether any of the following factors may apply…

What are some best practices for onboarding new team members in the advisory practices you see?

Dan Ariely is one of the most famous behavioral economists in the world. And in his latest act, he's attempted to apply his research to investing.

The surge in early retirements spurred by the pandemic is increasing inequality among Baby Boomers in the U.S., with older Black workers without a college degree more likely to be forced to exit the labor market prematurely, a study showed.

Adding “alpha” to client relationships may be easier through effective estate and tax planning than with investment manager selection or portfolio construction. Potential changes to the tax code illustrate many of those planning opportunities.

Americans are shedding their masks, buying concert tickets and booking vacations like it’s 2019. But there’s one thing that’s doesn’t appear to be going anywhere as the pandemic fades: remote work.

There is a question you are uniquely ill-suited to answer.

I’m making a bold claim: Data should be the top driver of your marketing strategy.

A California woman facing trial in the U.S. college admissions scandal said charges against her should be thrown out because she’d be risking her life if she took the witness stand.

The saga of local public health officials tasked with fighting epidemic disease, and their clashes with national health authorities who didn’t care, was a perfect recipe for putting readers to sleep. But Michael Lewis made it into high drama.

As droves of women left the workforce last year, those who managed to hold onto their jobs made 84% of what men earned, according to a Pew Research Center report released Tuesday.

Harvard students will return to the classroom full time and campus housing will go back to its usual density after more than a year of remote learning because of the pandemic.

To see growth in your clientele as an advisor, here is my list of email marketing trends.

The entrepreneurial culture and meritocracy of the wealth management is what makes this profession unique. But have you ever wondered what we could learn from other industries?

With the 2021 college graduation season in full swing, there is some good news for this year’s class: Their first job’s pay is slightly improving.

Every aspect of a marriage should be built on mutual trust, love, and respect. But as an attorney, I’ve counseled countless victims of financial abuse who have experienced none of these qualities.

Here are five things Hollywood knows about blockbuster webinars that advisors don’t.

I have taken a consistent position on the “value” issue: Don’t explain your value or justify your fee unless you are expressly asked.

The most consequential program in the financial planning world is being ignored by those to whom it matters most – aspiring advisors and the firms that will benefit from hiring them.

Equity markets are not a bubble, according to Howard Marks. He expects six to nine months of very good economic news, followed by “decent” growth for several years.