Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the SEC has issued a new bulletin clarifying the responsibilities of brokers under Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI). The guidance indicates that, despite early fears that Reg BI was ‘overly accommodating’ to the brokerage industry, the Commission is expecting that reducing conflicts of interest should be an ongoing task for broker-dealers rather than a one-time compliance disclosure change, and that brokerage firms will want to ‘show their work’ when it comes to their compliance responsibilities (a potential best practice for RIAs, too!)!
Also in industry news this week:
- A study suggests that a significant number of brokers who are disciplined by FINRA are engaging in ‘regulatory arbitrage’ by moving to state-regulated insurance companies, making it more difficult for consumers to learn about their past infractions
- How the proposed “Inflation Reduction Act” will impact financial advisors and their clients
From there, we have several articles on advisor content marketing:
- How advisors can generate topic ideas for content to engage their target audience
- The best practices (and pitfalls to avoid) for advisors when crafting an email subject line
- Why campaigns that combine “sunk marketing” with “momentum marketing” can lead to greater results for advisors
We also have a number of articles on retirement planning:
- How the variability in annuity payouts across annuity providers has exploded in 2022, creating an opportunity for advisors to add value to clients by comparison shopping across insurance companies
- Why state long-term care insurance programs are driving demand for private policies, and the implications of these programs for advisors and their clients
- How advisors can support clients in choosing a Medigap policy
We wrap up with three final articles, all about the advisor regulatory landscape:
- Why better regulation of the insurance industry could make life easier for financial advisors
- What advisors need to know about the new IAR continuing education requirements
- Why pursuing title reform for financial planners is a worthwhile endeavor, even if it might be a bumpy process
Enjoy the ‘light’ reading!