- Seniors & CyberCrime
How online fraud is permeating our investment safety nets… with alarming success
by R. Dale Hall, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA
Cybersecurity threats are on the rise worldwide. According to the 16th Survey of Emerging Risks Key Findings, a report released in January 2023 by The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), cyber/network was identified as a top five current and emerging risk. Identity theft and fraud have become prevalent cybersecurity issues,…
read more - More Than Just Labor
How banks are driving new cost reduction strategies
by Tyler Higgins and Chris McGee
Investment bank revenues are plummeting, commercial bank earnings have experienced mixed results, recession is looming, and market volatility continues to be turbulent – and the result for financial services has been an increase in layoffs and bonus cuts.
read more - Did Covid Alter Our Perceptions Of A Safe Retirement?
Pre-retirees and retirees alike are taking a fresh look at their income timeline
by Mike Janky
By early 2020, the world started to change forever with the spread of Covid-19. We knew nothing about this virus, as many people around the world lost their lives or had family or friends that were infected with this new enemy.
read more - A New Renaissance In Financial Guidance
Why annuities will continue to thrive in 2023 (and how advisors will lead the charge)
by Corey Walther
While risks to retirement like market volatility and inflation were top of mind in 2022, annuity sales set records. The value proposition for including an annuity within a portfolio was compelling. Consumers who were anxious about risks to their retirement could use an annuity as a way to create a dependable income stream.
read more - New Perspectives On Longevity
How investors are recalculating their retirement and income timelines
by Mike Downing
When the pandemic turned the world upside down in March of 2020, many Americans found themselves in difficult positions, not only with increased stress around their health and the health of their loved ones, but also with new stressors on their financial well-being and their retirement savings strategies. As the world adapted to its new…
read more - Getting Ahead Of Economic Uncertainty
Three conversations every advisor should have with their clients
by Kurt Auleta
While 2023 has brought some hope around moderating inflation numbers and the potential for the Federal Reserve easing its rate hikes, economic uncertainty remains. 2022 ended with a double dip: stocks were down near bear market levels (the S&P 500 Index was down -18.11%) and bonds were down nearly as much (the Bloomberg Aggregate Bond…
read more - Fear And Longevity
An action plan to help your clients make it all the way through
by Tamiko Toland and Paul Yakoboski
Death is a doozy of a conversation opener, but it’s worth finding out how well clients know how long the average retiree will live—for their sake and yours. The uncertainty of a person’s lifespan makes retirement planning challenging due to two complementary concerns: on the one hand, the risk of running out of money and,…
read more - Hidden Obstacles To Growing Your Practice
… And five strategies to help you overcome them
by Tiffany A. Markarian
Financial advisors are often told by leadership or business consultants to “grow your financial practice,” expand your assets under management, or increase activity. The challenge with growth-based goals is they often overlook the obstacles and historical sticking points that can plague an advisor’s business.
read more - A Conversation With James Katz
ESG: Investors Are Human Too
by P.E. Kelley
As more investors begin to embrace and seek to understand, and ultimately invest in, emerging ‘environmental, social and governance’ portfolios (ESG), the industry has mobilized to deliver these opportunities in a way that makes sense to its clients. But that’s where things often get a little hazy, because socially responsible investors, who usually come to…
read more - Planning For The Future
Four ways financial advisors can help clients with extended care strategy
by Steve Sperka
As Baby Boomers enter retirement and the aging population grows larger, many individuals are beginning to find themselves in what is known as the “sandwich generation”— the generation of individuals who are responsible for both raising their children as well as providing care for their parents. In fact, according to a 2022 survey from diversified…
read more - Working In A Post-Covid World
How digital mental health solutions address stress-related exhaustion in the workplace
by Dr. Byron Crowe, M.D.
Emotional exhaustion is a condition much of the American population is familiar with. Emotional exhaustion is a symptom of burnout. Generally characterized by a sense of fatigue and a loss of enthusiasm for one's work and personal affairs, emotional exhaustion is often associated with burnout. External stressors such as those related to politics, social change,…
read more - The Normalization Of Self-Employment
As the Gig Economy Comes of Age, Can Choice and Need Find a Working Balance?
by Sir Nigel Wilson and John Godfrey
As the gig economy expands, the normalization of self-employment has shifted the center of gravity for American workers and employers alike. This new relationship to work delivers changes in both personal and financial arenas as gig workers navigate a rejiggered and constantly evolving model of employment, tipping the norm at least in the U.S. to…
read more - Secure 2.0 And The Future Of Retirement
Understanding, and managing, the 90+ new provisions is no small task
by Lance Schoening
When the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) passed in the Omnibus Bill on December 23, there was an instant celebration across the retirement industry. And for good reason, given the anticipated benefits it offers to help working Americans establish a more secure retirement.
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