A crucial part of marketing is, put simply, doing more of what works and less of what doesn't work. But how can advisors know what is effective? Many advisors look to their prospect calls for the answers: who shows up, and what do they ask about? This is a helpful starting point, but it may provide an incomplete picture – e.g., advisors may determine that since prospective clients don't ask about

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that Fidelity is planning to raise its minimum asset threshold for RIAs on its platform to $100 million, with affected firms having until June 30, 2027 to reach this minimum or start the process of finding a new custodial home. While this move is already leading to competition am

The third quarter of 2026 saw a historic climb in interest rates, a new Federal Reserve rate hike cycle, and oil prices surging back above $100 a barrel. Given this combination of developments, many investors might have assumed that equity markets would struggle heading into year-end. Yet the S&P 500 notched its 27th record high of the year amidst continued strong corporate earnings, rewarding tho

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 510th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Michael Yoder. Michael is the founder of Yoder Wealth Management, an RIA based in Walnut Creek, California, that oversees approximately $400 million in assets under management for 64 client households. What's unique about Michael, though, is how he has implemented a discovery me

Welcome to the October 2026 issue of the Latest News in Financial #AdvisorTech – where we look at the big news, announcements, and underlying trends and developments that are emerging in the world of technology solutions for financial advisors! This month's edition kicks off with the news that Anthropic has announced the launch of Claude for Financial Advisors , an industry-specific plugin for its

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that the IRS issued guidance and a revenue ruling drawing boundaries around what it perceives to be legitimate uses of the increasingly popular 351 exchange strategy. While the strategy as a whole remains a viable way to manage securities with large embedded capital gains, the ag

Given that financial advice is usually, to say the least, not in expensive, financial advisors often need to be prepared to explain their fee in the context of the value that is offered. This conversation includes how advisors charge for their advice and what they are charging for, especially as the fundamental value proposition of financial advice has evolved significantly over the last decade, t

For many years, the U.S. tax code has incentivized individuals to give to charitable causes by allowing an itemized deduction for charitable contributions. Although the amount that an individual could deduct was limited to a certain percentage of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) based on the type of property contributed and the type of organization it was contributed to, any contribution made wit

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 509th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Dana Anspach. Dana is the founder of Sensible Money, an RIA based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that oversees $850 million in assets under management for 330 client households. What's unique about Dana, though, is how she has stood out as a retirement planning expert by leaning into d

Client referrals have long been a cornerstone of organic new client growth because they tap into a resource every established advisor already has: an existing client base. But before getting into specific referral strategies, there is a prerequisite to receiving any referrals at all: clients need to feel that the advisor provides enough value to be worth recommending. After all, referrals require

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a survey indicates many financial planning clients are concerned about rising consumer costs , with healthcare expenses at the forefront. Which suggests financial advisors have the opportunity to offer value both by increasing their clients' confidence in their financial pla