Industry

Is Your Billing Structure Creating Potential Conflicts?

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 Advisors typically bill based on Assets Under Management (AUM). In general, the larger the portfolio managed, the more fees are earned by the advisor. As an advisor myself, I will frequently tell potential clients that this fee structure puts us “on the same side of the fence” as the client – our only incentive is to grow their portfolio.   Yet, when we calculate fees this way, how do we advise our clients when they seek input on:   Making charitable donations? Paying off their mortgage? Buying a second home? Taking expensive vacati

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Free Benchmark Indexes!

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We’ve all heard that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But, now, there is such a thing as free benchmarking indexes. Morningstar recently announced that it will provide its market-cap-weighted indexes to advisors, financial firms, and money managers for free. This is pretty big news. So, I wanted to delve into the details.  

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Can Sheryl Rowling Change Morningstar?

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It’s safe to assume that Sheryl Rowling, a CPA financial planner, joined the ranks of the ultra-high net worth by selling her tax-rebalancing software firm, Total Reblance Expert, to Morningstar on November 2. Rowling, recipient of A4A’s 2012 Person of The Year Award, is a great entrepreneur and a leader among independent professionals in the financial advice industry. But what does the sale of her software company mean to independent advisors? Full Disclosure On December 17, 2012, Sheryl Rowling won A4A’s, Person Of The Year Award, for her dedication to making the financi

Estate Mishaps Of Celebrities, Rich, And Infamous

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The late Paul Walker’s fiancé, his mate for seven years, was left without a place to live after the "Fast and Furious" star tragically died in a 2013 auto accident Robin Williams’ children recently ended an ugly public and costly legal battle out of court with their step mother over the actor’s $100 million estate.    Striking a balance between entertaining and educating professionals, Missia Vaselaney, an estate planning lawyer with Hollywood in her blood, shared the inside scoop about estate planning cases of the rich, famous, and notiorous. 

What Financial Advisory Firms Need To Know About Cyber Security To Pass OCIE Exams

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 In March 2014, the SEC sponsored a Cybersecurity Roundtable where SEC Commissioners and staff, along with industry representatives, underscored the importance of cybersecurity to the integrity of the market system and customer data protection.

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