Whether you are a branch manager advising your reps about market niches, or you are an RIA looking to specialize, you’ll be a part of a growing segment of the industry investigating unique demographic groups. In this article, we’ll present an overview of a few distinctive niches and demographic groups and discuss where they are, what are their key characteristics, and some strategies for understanding and working successfully with them. (more…)

As a reader of this paper, you are clearly an experienced and competent member of a broker-dealer management team. Furthermore, it is likely you are reading this column because you are acutely aware that you exist in the most hostile regulatory environment created thus far. (more…)

Beginning with this issue, we are presenting one-on-one interviews with the leaders and unsung heroes in our business who have contributed in meaningful and exceptional ways to the financial services industry. To kick it off, we have interviewed one of the industry’s visionary leaders, Christopher L. Davis, President, Money Management Institute in Washington, DC. (more…)

After many years of both quantitative and qualitative research with wealthy families, Catherine S. McBreen and George H. Walper Jr., principals at Spectrem Group, identified the factors that can help advisors create “perpetual wealth” for their clients. Their new book, Get Rich, Stay Rich, Pass It On: The Wealth-Accumulation Secrets of America’s Richest Families, outlines this strategy in a way that is easy for advisors to use as a tool to position themselves as a holistic wealth advisor for their clients. (more…)

The industry wins on most fronts as showcased at the Money Management Institute (MMI) event, and collaboration continues among players toward common goals. (more…)

Attendees at this year’s packed MMI Annual Convention were warmly welcomed by Brian Jacobs, Chairman of the Board of Governors and Christopher Davis, President. Following a brief overview by Roger Paradiso, President, Chief Investment Officer, Legg Mason Private Portfolio Group, and Frank Campanale, President, Campanale Consulting, the event was off to a great start. (more…)

According to Bob Del Col, FundQuest’s Chairman and founder, “The well-known country music song says, ‘we were country before country was cool’ and our team feels that way about open architecture investments.” (more…)

Non-traditional instruments for high net worth clients are plentiful…hedge funds, private equity, fund-of-funds, commodities, managed futures, energy…but here are two unique investment solutions that are quickly gaining in popularity with investors: water investing and land banking. (more…)

Over the last few decades, conventional investment wisdom has taught most investors to seek the highest return from growth stocks, create diversified, yet passive (buy and hold), portfolio allocations, and ignore short-term volatility in order to reap the benefits of rising stock prices over time. In theory, this strategy can work for them. (more…)

Whenever we attend broker-dealer conferences, we’re exposed to a variety of advisor recognition programs. Most firms offer top producer trips, but many others extend those programs to multiple layers of recognition including presenting assorted plaques and trophies that recognize a diverse lot of advisor accomplishments. (more…)