- Planning Through Uncertainty
Tax Changes and their Impact on Wealth Management
by Emily Harper, CFP
Few things in life are certain – taxes may be a certainty but even their certain existence comes with dizzying changes that can upend even the best-laid plans. While we may not see many of the changes to personal income taxes that were initially proposed during the Biden campaign and earlier negotiations in Congress, this…
read more - A Conversation with Lee Freitag
The New Challenges Of Accumulation
by P.E. Kelley
Longevity has thrown a monkey-wrench into many of our reliable assumptions about building adequate and sustainable retirement income for our clients. The prospect of outliving ones assets, running out of money before running out of breath, has become a frightening possibility for many.
read more - Conversations On Legacy Planning
The holiday season may a perfect time to begin
By Alison Carnie
For many, the holidays are a time spent around family, with everyone gathered around the table for great food and warm company. For the sharp financial advisor, this year’s holiday season also provides an opportunity to talk to clients (and their families) about the legacy they hope to leave.
read more - Taking Stock In The Longevity Of Our Savings
How can advisors best help employees achieve guaranteed income for life?
by Tim Walsh
How can advisors best help employees achieve guaranteed income for life? by Tim Walsh Mr. Walsh is Senior Managing Director, with TIAA . Visit tiaa.org. We’ve seen all too well businesses, large and small, struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. The economic uncertainty, shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders curbed consumer spending in some areas resulting…
read more - Robos & Hybrids: The New Wave?
How high-tech advisory models can help provide more opportunities to more investors
by Ken Thompson And Alyson Klug
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace of digital adoption across all industries as businesses were thrust into a full-time, remote working environment. The financial advice business is no exception. Customers who traditionally interacted with their advisors on the phone or in-person now routinely use digital tools, like web-based meetings, to make…
read more - Retiree Reimbursement Arrangements
A new tool to manage post-retirement healthcare
by John W. Rownd, CFC,.
With the increasing and often unpredictable costs of providing defined benefit (DB) plans during retirement, employers offering retiree benefits can better control their expenses by offering a cost-effective retirement health benefit solution—a retiree reimbursement arrangement (RRA). RRAs are set up by an employer to help pay the medical expenses that their employees incur after they…
read more - Brokers Are Key To The Benefits Conversation
Three reasons your business clients will lean on you to launch their program
by Brian Freeman
If an employer is moving from five employees to 10 and offering benefits for the first time, or moving from 40 to 60 and must satisfy ACA benefit requirements, working with an experienced insurance broker is essential for success. Great insurance brokers and advisors should manage every detail for an employer, from healthcare to parental…
read more - Planning With Purpose
In our post-covid world, clients may expect more from you
by Matt Schulte, CFP®
Personalized recommendations available 24/7. A complete view of my financial picture. Thoughtful discussions framed around my financial wellness. Today's clients expect tailored, responsive, and comprehensive advice from their advisor. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of many people’s finances and put a new spotlight on purpose. The disruption to day-to-day life forced people around the…
read more - What’s Worrying Workers?
As financial stress rises, they look to the benefits portfolio for solutions
by Mike Wilbert
Employee financial stress is not a new topic. Much attention has been drawn to employees’ financial stress in the past few years, including its effect on job performance. Prior to the pandemic, 74% of full-time employees reported that they would experience financial difficulty if their next paycheck was delayed for a week, according to the…
read more - Leadership & The Motion Of Emotion
What really makes people tick?
by Paul Karasik
At the core, the most fundamental need of any leader is to induce others to follow and execute the mission and vision of the enterprise. Therefore, any discussion of effective leadership must begin with an investigation into human behavior and answer the question of “What makes people tick?”
read more - Reading The Generational Tea Leaves
How advisors can tap into the Millennium hunger for investing
by Andrew Guillette & Matt Schiffman
Over the past 18 months, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced financial advisors to reinvent many of their tried-and-true methods of engaging with clients and running their businesses. Most advisors, for example, would never have chosen virtual over face-to-face client meetings two years ago, but now some may have actually begun to prefer Zoom in some…
read more - Benefit Strategies To Support Women In The Workplace
The new realities of retention and support
by Kim Rudeen
After decades of progress, the women’s labor force participation rate dipped to its lowest point in more than 30 years. In fact, more than 2.3 million women have exited the workforce since February 2020.1 The pandemic holds most of the blame, with many women having to make tough decisions between continuing with their careers or handling…
read more - Beyond Benefits
How employee well-being is changing how we work
by Shareen Luze
So much has changed since March of 2020 when a global pandemic transformed how we lived and worked. We’ve gone through so much — pivoted, adapted and, in many respects, grown stronger.
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