Life Events

News broke this week that the US Department of Justice wants to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell Chrome, its dominant web browser. That has led to much head scratching in the tech industry.

The second coming of Donald Trump is unquestionably bad news for Germany.

Sirion Skulpone of Goldman Sachs Asset Management talks through the risks of being concentrated in individual stocks.

Gen Z and millennials are widely considered to be the most diverse and socially conscious generations yet. They are vocal about their interest in driving social impact. And their values and priorities dictate their actions, all of which are actively shaping the future.

Our model, How America Spends, has been tracking the purchasing behavior of 135 million U.S. households since 2014. This model is not a black box – it is a data file representing the spending of 135 million households on goods and services since 2014.

Let's keep our client meetings focused and manageable. By doing so, we not only respect their time and attention but also increase the likelihood of them taking the necessary steps to achieve their financial goals.

While baby boomers can be slower to embrace technology, younger investors tend to seek out and prefer tech-focused services and providers. This preference for technology is something advisors should lean into to connect with younger generations of investors.

Despite being the generations with the most knowledge, experience and potential resources, many are still unsure about their financial future.

In the midst of grieving your loved one’s loss and making funeral arrangements, you may also be responsible for finalizing their estate, which could include inheriting real estate.

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks, caused by tears or holes in the spinal cord, are rare and difficult to identify. Because the symptoms aren’t uncommon — including nausea, neck pain, ringing in the ears and debilitating positional headaches — patients can spend years without a proper diagnosis. Some have been told they have allergies.

The 2024 presidential campaign was marked by two assassination attempts, a candidate switch, divisive rhetoric and warnings about the fate of democracy. And that may have only been the beginning.

Next-generation investors are looking for more than just traditional portfolio managements, and advisors should look to meet those expectations.

Consistent communication through market events is vital for advisors concerned about client retention.

The age of a typical homebuyer jumped to an all-time high of 56 in the US, with many young people locked out of the housing market while older owners tap their accumulated home equity for cash purchases or to make large down payments, according to a report.

Bill Bernstein digs into a book that follows the complicated history of Elon Musk's chaotic acquisition of Twitter and its subsequent transformation into X.

The "ideal life" is a harmful myth that can distort perceptions of success and happiness. By recognizing different values and goals, you can foster a more inclusive – and realistic – understanding of what it means to lead a fulfilling life.

When done effectively, your outsourced team of professionals can help improve efficiencies, increase productivity, and scale profitably – all while giving you the freedom to focus on what you’re most passionate about.

There is a demographic that likes to work with you and consistently hires you – you probably just don’t have it defined for you and your team. If you don’t know who you work best with, there is no way that your prospect efforts will be profitable. Rather, they will be coincidental.

Here, we'll explore why serving family offices is a natural fit for many RIAs, discuss the considerations that need to be factored in when launching an MFO practice, and offer a roadmap for successfully building one.

Been with the same employer for 10 years or more? That doesn’t exactly make you a rarity in the US, where 30.2% of employed wage and salary workers were in that situation as of January 2024, according to data released last month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And while this percentage is down from a decade ago, it’s close to where things stood for the much of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

One of the only things growing faster than progress in AI applications is speculation about AI’s effect on the economy. I don’t have all the answers, not by a long shot, but I do think we should expect great unevenness in adaptation, and that itself will alter our world.

As Steward Health Care Systems LLC’s network of hospitals was struggling, it stopped paying some of its vendors. One of those vendors was a supplier of bereavement boxes, the tiny cases used to transport the remains of newborns who don’t survive.

It's important to stay informed regarding the latest updates to 529 college savings plans, for both current account holders and prospective savers. In recent years there have been significant changes, including The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act in December of 2022, which helps enhance the flexibility and benefits of 529 plans.

The cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the last few decades, and shows no signs of slowing. That’s why it’s more important than ever that parents start saving as early as possible for their children’s future.

Opening a 529 college savings account can be a smart move if you’d like to save for college on a tax-advantaged basis. One thing to consider when opening a 529 plan is whether it should be a custodial or individual account. While both allow you to save for college costs and enjoy some tax breaks, they differ in terms of who has control of the account and the assets in it.

529 plans are one of the most popular ways Americans save for the college expenses of their children. As of June 2024, there were 16.8 million 529 savings accounts holding $508 billion, according to the College Savings Plan Network.

There are only a couple of workable options. You can’t tell someone like this she isn’t listening or that you feel shut down when you speak with her. That will only lead to defensiveness.

This article will explore how to increase your AUM by capturing assets in trusts and DAFs, explain the difference between directed and traditional trustees, and discuss why designating a directed trustee and an advisor-friendly DAF is in the client’s best interest.

With over 20 years of experience in web design and development, I’ve seen firsthand how the right website can transform a financial advisor’s business.

The looming wealth transfer from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation to younger generations is set to reshape the financial landscape in unprecedented ways. Estimated at $84 trillion, this transition is a huge financial event.

Unbundling services and offering them à la carte could appeal to clients who want more control over their financial management. This approach allows clients to tailor the services they receive to their unique needs and preferences.

Foreign Agents provides a powerful and depressing master class in the famous warning of Hamilton’s Federalist No. 21. To quote another founding father, Benjamin Franklin, “a republic, if you can keep it” indeed.

Business divorces are often painful, expensive, and damaging – not just to the individuals involved, but to the advisory firm’s reputation and, most importantly, to its clients. However, with some foresight and planning, many of the common triggers for a business split can be avoided.

A surprising trend has emerged when it comes to discussing inheritance. While very and ultra-high-net-worth clients often engage in these conversations, they tend to occur far less frequently with other segments.

Americans might be forgiven for basking in self-satisfaction when it comes to the economy. The country’s most prominent CEO, Jamie Dimon, has called the country’s boom “unbelievable,” and its most stimulating magazine, The Atlantic, has dubbed it a “superstar.”

Millions of Americans are falling behind on student loan payments a year after the pandemic freeze ended – and soon that will start hurting their credit scores.

The term “Complexity Curve” refers to the growing intricacies that come with managing the wealth of high-net-worth individuals. As their assets grow, so do the complexities of their financial portfolios. This includes everything from business ownership and large qualified plans to complex estate planning issues.

Christine Benz is Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, but she’s written a book that evokes Viktor Frankl as much as Bill Sharpe, aiming to go well beyond the mathematics of saving for, and living in, retirement.

Here’s a quote attributed to P. J. O’Rourke, an American author, journalist and political satirist: “There is a simple rule here, a rule of legislation, a rule of business, a rule of life: beyond a certain point, complexity is fraud.”

Few human activities are more central to historiography than war, and yet historians are poorly equipped to understand its evolutionary and psychological roots: Why War? attempts, with only partial success, to close this gap.

To understand the importance of involving both spouses in the discussion, we asked our very own Vicky Frye, Director of FinTech Innovation and Cybersecurity Strategies at WMGNA, for her comments on this topic.

As tough as financial advisors claim to be, we still get nervous about “firing” clients, too. When we say “graduate,” that is our delicate way of handling an uncomfortable situation. It’s a cheap, but effective way to massage the misgivings that we have about terminating client relationships.