Rave Reviews From Advisors For Volatility CE Session, As Stocks Swing Wildly

The week before this webinar about stock market volatility, the S&P 500 plunged 4.9%, and then it surged 5% higher the week of the class. Amid heightened volatility, this continuing education course for CFP, CPA, CIMA professionals received a 4.9-star rating.

   REPLAY  

Craig Israelsen, a professor who has published monthly in Financial Planning for two decades, teaches about portfolio design every month at A4A’s courses accredited by CFP Board, NASBA, and IWI. This session examines the statistical characteristics of portfolios in periods of high volatility, and specifically how it impacts overall portfolio correlation.

Craig Israelsen is a key contributor to the practice management approach we support for financial planning and investment fiduciaries. Dr. Israelsen gives you correlation coefficient, risk, return and other statistics on a variety of broadly portfolios in a $350 a year subscription.  You can implement at any low-cost brokerage serving RIAs and you can build client portfolios with ETFs, index funds, or actively-managed funds comprised of allocations to securities tickers provided by Craig. Rebalancing stats are provided annually. It'sthe lowest cost way to practice and it is disruptive and only for forward-thinking professionals.     

This approach to managing a core portfolio is much less expensive than paying a custodian, TAMP or financial product manufacturer based on AUM to do the same thing. This approach enables professionals to advise clients for less than 20 basis points on a core portfolio, which has been commoditized by the very same Wall Street brokerages selling RIAs custody services and managed diversified portfolios.

Craig Israelsen teaches every month on A4A about low-expense investing and his webinars are a key piece of A4A’s comprehensive approach. We report breaking news you need to sustain a financial advisory practice aligned with the best interest of clients. This timely webinar is eligible for one credit 24/7 on demand for replays by CFP and CIMA professionals. (Live sessions are eligible for CPA CPE.)

This session illustrates A4A’s news judgment  about strategic issues important to real financial professionals. Along with news analysis of economic fundamentals from the amazing Fritz Meyer, and tax and financial planning strategies taught monthly by Robert Keebler, CPA.PFS, A4A continuing education webinars form the intellectual underpinning for a professional services firm offering financial planning and investment advice. 

A4A is differnt from Kaplan Financial Education, WebCE and other continuing professional education and advisor news websites. Founded in 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, A4A  complements a professional practice management system based on low expense investments, financial and tax planning, and quantitative analysis of economics fundamentals. 

This session went 15 minutes long because Craig was on a roll and questions kept coming in. Even the attendee who criticized the length of the session gave it  a 5-star rating. Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated and we are committed to this kind of genuine collaboration to promote progress in financial planning and investment education and communications with consumers. Comments:

  • Very interesting!
  • Great
  • Good
  • Always learn from Dr. Israelsen
  • Love Craig!
  • Solid logic...wise approach
  • Simply awesome
  • Great information and speaking points to share with clients.
  • Excellent review of statistical measures that are critical to portfolio development
  • Good explanation of correlation
  • Thank you Craig for the continuing review and analysis of correlation between the various asset classes. The most important conclusion is something that was emphasized repeatedly, and that is the psychology of investing, and investor (client) behavior. It was useful for you to directly identify the dilemma of the adviser in that clients do not have the patience to wait for lagging asset classes. And your point that commodities have been terrible investments is a major part of that dilemma, thank you.
  • I think this one dragged a little.  He kept making the same point over and over.  I think we get the uncorrelated point.  Also, i have mentioned many times before that i really prefer the one-hour call last no longer than one hour.  If i have a 5pm call, which i did today, i want to be able to drop off and not have the call still going.  You have 60 minutes for Andy's intro, the body of the presentation, and Q&A. Figure out how you want to split it up and stick to it.
  • Excellent. Well done!
  • Good stuff
  • Good, common-sense reminder: "this is what a correlated portfolio looks like.  They don't usually all get to party together."  set expectations.  They're each doing their part.

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A Strategically Focused CE Curriculum

With classes approved for over a decade by the CFP Board, IWI, and NASBA, Advisors4Advisors CE classes are an optimal knowledge stream for CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS®, CFA®, and other practitioners. It's not a grab bag of speakers willing to sponsor CE content. Nor is it a one-man CE course. It's a group of subject matter experts with amazing communication skills and a history of thought leadership that, together, give advisors a well-rounded knowledge system for running a professional practice ethically and intelligently.

CE Since October 2008

A4A CE classes for financial professionals began in October 2008, the week Lehman Bros. collapsed. Initially billed as “The Financial Crisis Webinar Series,” A4A connects advisors with authoritative sources on investing, tax, and financial planning, chosen by A4A Editor Andrew Gluck, a veteran financial reporter. A4A members get a stream of CE classes for an advisor who: 

  • holds a CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS, CFA or other designation requiring CE annually 
  • values monthly CE classes by Fritz Meyer, Craig Israelsen, Bob Keebler, Frank Murtha, or Andrew Gluck
  • diversifies a core of client portfolios in low-expense funds
  • invests based on MPT and economic fundamentals
  • advises on tax and financial planning as well as investing
  • needs financial counseling skills
  • wants the Certified Financial Counselor™ designation 
  • is building a brand as a thought leader locally or in a niche
  • wants the facts when bad news breaks
  • wants CE aligned with a content marketing system
  • wants 24/7 access to CE on-demand
  • insists on objective evidenced-based tax and investment planning analysis
MEMBER REVIEWS 
William Desormeau, Jr.  
It is not possible for me to overstate the cumulative value that Craig, Bob and Fritz have added for over 10 years to my investment advisory practice, as well as for personal and family financial planning. A4A gets my highest recommendation
Lynn Najman, CFP®
I’ve subscribed to A4A since its inception, and always find it intellectually stimulating and on point. It’s one of the few CE solutions out there that doesn’t waste my time by pushing product or talking down to me.

PeteDeacon-CPA-CFP

Pete Deacon, CPA, CFP®
A4A has had a profound effect on my business. Since 2009, I’ve relied on the consistent messaging and updates to run my business successfully. Being able to present the information from Bob, Fritz, and Craig's ongoing CE webinars has been a significant benefit.

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Fredric Mayerson, MBA, PhD, CFP®
I've been a financial professional and professor of finance for 35 years and find Fritz Meyer and Robert Keebler to be among the most engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, and experienced presenters I’ve encountered. They deliver an extraordinary amount of information in an extremely interesting way — sequentially and developmentally, utilizing pedagogical tools and techniques that few possess.  A4A to is the most consistently excellent CE program available.  
Ron Roge, MS, CFP®
I’ve been attending A4A many years because the CE classes are outstanding, and my time is valuable. Though I have over 35 years of experience, I’m always learning something new on A4A. I attend fewer conferences now because the CE is generally not advanced. If you want to learn from the best, in a faster, easier, and less expensive way, I highly recommend A4A.

John R. Day, CPA/PFS®

I’ve been a member since 2011 and never miss the monthly webinars with Fritz Meyer. I appreciate Fritz’s independent views on the economy and markets and Bob Keebler keeps me updated on excellent tax planning ideas. A4A is a great value!

NormanPolitzinerCFP

Norman Politziner, CFP

I wouldn't miss a Fritz Meyer webinar unless my pants were on fire. I've relied on Andrew Gluck's knowledge systems --client communications and CE -- for two decades. It's simply the best solution for tax, financial, investment, and risk-management professionals.®   

Dan Hawley, CFP® 

A4A, for over a decade, has been a great resource for useful and accurate information and CE. A4A and Advisor Products are bargains for an advisory practice. 

KevinBrosious-CFP-CPA-PFS

Kevin Brosious, MBA, CFP®, CPA/PFS®

I get CPA CE credit and CFP credit for the webinars.  But not only that, the A4A content is terrific