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1. Is the Bull Market Just Beginning?
We noted last Friday that over the previous few years, a handful of “Mega-Capitalization” (mega-market capitalization) stocks have dominated market returns and driven the bull market. In that article, we questioned whether the dominance of just a handful of stocks can continue to drive the bull market. Furthermore, the breadth of the bull market rally has remained a vital concern of the bulls. We discussed that issue in detail in “Bad Breadth Keeps Getting Worse.” — Lance Roberts
2. What Matters More: Earnings or the Election?
The What Does It Mean? podcast sifts through the noise to break down only the most important stuff impacting the stock market, the economy and your money this week. Chris, Bob, Lindsey and their guests give their (often) varying perspectives. Every episode ends with a lesson learned and how it applies to your money. In this episode, our hosts analyzed the current market outlook and earnings season. The potential impact of the US presidential election on the stock market was also discussed, with a focus on technical indicators, market volatility, and economic data releases. — Chris Versace, Bob Lang and Lindsey Bell\
3. With Advisor Help, Gen X Can Get on Right Retirement Track
Gen X has long been overlooked. For what reasons, I’ll never know and I’m part of this generation. More recently, however, increasing amounts of attention have been paid to the retirement planning and savings woes faced by people born between 1965 and 1980. — Todd Shriber
4. The Emerging Role of Lifestyle Coaches in Wealth Management
Beyond the standard retirement income planning, Social Security, and Medicare playbooks, many wealth managers and financial advisors are turning their attention to helping clients grapple with finding purpose and direction in retirement. — David Conti
5. Buy Some and Get on With Your Life
Now, we don’t often write about gold. It’s not “sexy,” and it’s not a disruptor. But it’s a great hedge against political, financial, and social disruption... and you can’t ignore this price action. Here at RiskHedge, we recommend you own at least a little bit of gold. As Stephen says, “Buy some gold, forget about it, and get on with your life. Hope you never need it, and then pass it on to your kids.” Simply put, gold is “crisis insurance.” Unlike stocks, it doesn’t require the economy to keep humming to hold its value. Unlike government bonds, it doesn’t require politicians to act long-term prudent to hold its value. And unlike the US dollar—which has lost 25% of its value since 2020—gold has always appreciated over the long term. — Chris Reilly
6. Unchecked, Firm Valuations Will Keep Sliding
An old saw claims that good wine and wisdom get better with age. But of late, that maxim does not seem to apply to the aging of typical advisory practice. At NextChapter, we observe organizations of all sizes delivering great financial results - earnings - but losing assets to the inevitable impact of an aging clientele. Left unchecked, firm valuations will continue to slide. That’s not the next chapter most ownership envisions. What to do? — Steve Gresham
7. How To Transform Your Financial Business Model With Tax Services
Financial services business models are rapidly evolving and generating intensive introspection for advisors to determine what they specifically do for their clients and how they want to be perceived in their communities. The expanding holistic financial planning movement and the growing threat of rising taxes in retirement are vital factors that challenge the traditional distinction between wealth management advice and accountant/CPA tax services. The more profound financial knowledge needed for increasingly complex investment products and alternatives, along with advanced high-net-worth insurance products and strategies, puts the advisor in a unique position to work with the client’s tax professional and lead an overarching financial strategy. — Bill Hortz
8. Does It Pay To Be Pushy?
“Pushy” is a word with negative connotations. No one wants to shop in a store with an aggressive salesperson hanging over your shoulder. I have always believe you can get people to give you an immediate answer, but that answer will be “no.” Suppose we rename this activity as “proactive?” Does it pay to be pushy then? — Bryce Sanders
9. Talking Risk With Clients
Risk is an inherent feature in the financial markets. How we discuss risk with clients can be the difference between making good decisions and those that are very costly. If the investor makes a costly decision, we will simply blame them. But what if we never addressed risk in the appropriate way and with the right perspective? — Jay Mooreland
10. How to Position Yourself Not To Lose the Sale
Early on in your career as an advisor, no one probably really explained the power of positioning to you. Most elders and “mentors” in the industry have only focused on getting more leads and booking more meetings, and that’s still the case today. As new advisors began to enter the market and lead generation became more competitive, a new mindset and approach to selling emerged in the industry that was based on building relationships and giving value, pre-sale. — Ari Galper
11. Don’t Forget About the Growth in Equity
Of all the strategies in private equity, growth equity seems to be the middle child; it’s often overshadowed by venture capital and traditional leveraged buyout and can be hard to define. Yet, there’s a lot to like. Growth equity strategies aim to generate returns by unlocking untapped potential in operating performance and scale. While the last two years didn’t do any favors for growth equity, as companies emphasized cash flow over growth, there are bright spots which could reemphasize the opportunities and strong performance of the strategy. — Kunal Shah and Hilary White