Enjoy the current installment of "weekend reading for financial planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that the Investment Adviser Association, in collaboration with Charles Schwab, has begun an effort with lawmakers to both reverse the recent changes that eliminated the tax deductibility of investment advisory fees and expand the scope of the new "pass-through" business deduction (intended to support businesses that grow jobs and and hire people) to allow at least larger advisory firms that really do hire people and create jobs to be eligible for the deduction as well.
From there, we have several marketing-related articles this week, including: how most financial advisor websites are like a "bad date" that mostly talks about themselves instead of trying to connect with the other person; how Googling around to check out other advisory firms in your area can help to show you how you can better differentiate (or how undifferentiated you may actually be); the steps to follow to create a successful lead-nurturing campaign with prospective clients; key tips for starting your own Public Relations (PR) initiative in your advisory firm with (local) media; and a discussion of a unique COI referral opportunity that most advisors miss out on (working with investment bankers that facilitate the sale of small-to-mid-sized businesses).
We also have a few articles on advisor technology trends, from a look at how performance reporting software may eventually be replaced by "PFM" tools that advisors can give to their clients (which both better engage them, and are less expensive), the rise of the next wave of "robo" firms now targeting disruption in the small-to-mid-sized 401(k) plan marketplace, and a glimpse of the new "Advisor Innovation (AI) Labs" effort from Lori Hardwick and Mike Zebrowski that is aiming to create a new form of advisor desktop that would sit on top of existing broker-dealer or custodial platforms to let independent advisors be more independent (at least, if those firms will cooperate and "let" AI Labs do so with "their" data!).
We wrap up with three interesting articles, all around the theme of raising financially successful children: the first examines the results of a recently published study that took a 40 year(!) view of children in 1968 and again in 2008 to see which children traits were most predictive of the greatest financial success (and found that the "rule-breakers" were often the most financially successful in the end, despite their challenges as children); the second reviews another recent research survey, which found that while those with above-average talent often do at least make above-average income, the greatest levels of success are more commonly driven by luck than talent (or at least talent alone); and the last explores how to raise children to be more grateful, in recognition of both the long-term emotional and other benefits of having an "attitude of gratitude", and the challenges of doing so in a world where parenting styles that aimed to bolster the self-esteem of children may have unwittingly made them more entitled (and less inclined towards gratitude) in the process.
Enjoy the "light" reading!