ETFs have come under criticism lately. Don Phillips of Morningstar says that as ETFs have proliferated, they have become more expensive and hazardous for FAs and their clients to use. The original ETFs were designed to provide low-cost exposure to...
When opening up retirement accounts, most advisors (and their clients) usually give little thought to the process of completing the “beneficiary” section of the paperwork.
Fewer still perform any ongoing review of the designations, regardless ...
Academics have long concluded that retail fund investors are dumb. Most investors favor actively managed funds, and on average the funds are losers. In a typical study, researchers look at a group of 200 or so funds and find that two-thirds trail...
After finishing Walter Isaacson's wonderful must-read biography, Steve Jobs, I reflected on my business heroes. Although Jobs was a genius whose vision and drive in many ways changed the world, I found myself thinking about Sam Walton.
As we ent...
Whether they are early in their tenure or late in the game and focused on succession planning, savvy advisors know that attrition, rising costs, and pressure from the competition will kill a business that is not in growth mode. You've got to grow...
It pays to be rich. You already knew that, but you might not appreciate that being rich helps students who are applying to college.
This reality isn't something that colleges and universities are proud of and they certainly don't publicize it. W...
I typically advise my clients to undertake a serious “cold review” of all previously cited problem areas and deficiencies when preparing for their next regulatory exam. Frankly, you'd think that's just common sense, right? After all, the first th...
How Much Should College Students Borrow?
Roughly two-thirds of college students borrow money for college. The average college graduate leaves school with about $25,000 worth of debt.
Is $25,000 a reasonable amount of student loans? It really de...