Nerd's Eye View blog

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (August 23–24)

August 22, 2025 02:00 pm 0 Comments CATEGORY: Weekend Reading

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent survey of Americans who plan to hire an advisor in the next five years indicates that while referrals from friends and family remain the most common way individuals seek out a financial advisor, nearly all perform additional research on the advisor, including by seeking out online reviews and the advisor's website. When considering an advisor's reputation, top factors cited by respondents included transparency in fees and services, professional certifications and credentials, and positive online reviews on an independent website, among other areas. The survey also found broad openness amongst respondents for their advisor using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tools for a variety of functions, including fraud detection and meeting notetaking, though they expressed more reservations about using AI for automated investment decisions (suggesting an opportunity for advisors to leverage their ability to relate to clients on a human level while taking advantage of some of the capabilities AI can offer).

Also in industry news this week:

A survey indicating Americans remain broadly worried about receiving their scheduled Social Security benefits suggests a valuable role for financial advisors in helping them understand the "true" state of the Social Security system and how potential legislative changes could impact their benefits and the taxes they pay
A report indicates that RIA M&A hit a fresh high in the first half of 2025 and suggests that amidst continued strong demand from buyers, the supply of selling firms will likely drive the pace of deals in the coming months

From there, we have several articles on retirement planning:

A seven-step process that can help clients estimate their expected cash flow needs in retirement more accurately than common rules of thumb
How the scheduled end of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies could increase the expenses of many early retirees and others with these health insurance policies
How reframing risk in retirement as "over- and under-spending" could help clients better understand the tradeoffs they face than a "success versus failure" framework

We also have a number of articles on marketing:

The potential value for financial advisors of having "channel focus" in marketing, going all-in on a single marketing channel rather than inconsistently focusing on several tactics
How some advisors are using Instagram to meet their target clients "where they are" on social media and to demonstrate their expertise and personalities
While many advisors focus on marketing tactics to reach potential clients around the country, both analog and digital marketing tools can allow advisors to tap into a potential client base closer to home

We wrap up with three final articles, all about health and wellness:

A recent study suggests that taking 7,000 steps each day could be a 'sweet spot' for improved health outcomes
An analysis suggests that it's never too late to get the health benefits of an active lifestyle, with benefits accruing both to those who maintain a workout regimen and those who start fresh
Six ways to build a consistent exercise routine, from finding an accountability partner to using apps that offer rewards for sticking to a workout plan

Enjoy the 'light' reading!

When Advising Clients Loses Its Spark: Burned Out, Or Bored-Out?: Kitces & Carl Ep 171

August 21, 2025 07:03 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Kitces & Carl Podcast

After years of growth and hustle, an advisor might arrive at a stable, profitable firm with loyal clients, a thriving staff, and a healthy income – only to find that the day-to-day work has become a repetitive cycle of meetings, service tasks, and familiar conversations. The practice is no longer challenging or creative; it simply runs. And for highly driven professionals who thrive on challenge and novelty, that can feel suffocating. Over time, this feeling of stagnation can lead to burnout – or something else entirely.

In this 171st episode of Kitces & Carl, Michael Kitces and client communication expert Carl Richards discuss the difference between being burned out and being 'bored out' – and how advisors can explore new ways to shake things up without destabilizing the business they've worked hard to build.

Burnout is often rooted in prolonged emotional and physiological exhaustion: too many demands, too little recovery. Being 'bored out', by contrast, emerges when the challenge disappears. The firm functions, clients are happy, the bills are paid… but without an imminent new goal to pursue, the advisor may feel disengaged or like their work lacks meaning. Ironically, the very success that was once the goal becomes the source of frustration: The advisor 'won', and now there's nothing left to strive for.

While these are two very different states, the root cause may be similar: a need for change. Advisors with enough revenue to slow down may still find themselves compulsively reinventing the firm. They might alter their service model, pivot to a new client base, overhaul the marketing strategy, or redesign internal processes. But constant reinvention can increase complexity, put stress on staff, and create instability for clients. Slowing the stream of new ideas and giving the firm time to catch up can be essential for everyone's wellbeing – including the advisor's.

In some cases, implementing frequent change may actually stem from the same root causes of boredom: a lack of new challenges. After years of invention, a reliable client base and familiar routines may feel limiting. Some advisors may have an impulse to completely overhaul or even sell their business – yet, while those options are available, there are often less drastic ways to regain a sense of fulfillment. Some channel their time, energy, or entrepreneurial drive into pursuits outside the firm, such as athletic challenges, philanthropic ventures, or new business endeavors. Others may choose to delegate more of the firm's operations or client work so they can focus on the parts they truly enjoy. And for advisors with a persistent creative itch, carving out a designated space to brainstorm and explore ideas – without any obligation to act – can help contain and channel that drive in a sustainable way.

Ultimately, the goal is to rekindle a sense of inspiration and autonomy. When the excitement of building wears off, it's worth pausing to consider a broader range of possibilities than just "stay and suffer" or "sell and escape". Whether the next step lies in restructuring the role, rediscovering creative ways to serve clients, or pursuing something entirely new, advisors often have more freedom and flexibility than they realize. Recognizing the difference between burnout and boredom can open the door to more thoughtful, aligned decisions – and help build not just sustainable practices, but more fulfilling careers!

OBBBA Breakout Guide: Student Loan Changes For Financial Advisors To Know – New Borrowing Limits, Parent PLUS, RAP, And Legacy IDR Plans

August 20, 2025 07:03 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: General Planning

After five years of policy shifts, paused payments, and temporary relief measures, the Federal student loan system is entering a new phase – one that's more stable, but also less generous and far more limited in its options. Before COVID, the system was complex but relatively stable. Then came years of borrower-friendly interventions, from suspended loan payments and interest freezes to sweeping (if temporary) forgiveness initiatives. Now, with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a new framework is taking shape – significantly narrowing borrowing options and increasing repayment obligations, particularly for parents and graduate students.

For financial advisors, the OBBBA represents a meaningful structural shift – especially in how much students and parents can borrow. While the past several years focused on temporary relief and evolving repayment plans for existing borrowers, the new borrowing limits will directly affect college funding strategies going forward.

Specifically, undergraduate borrowing limits remain unchanged, with a Federal loan cap of $27,000 over four years (or $31,000 for students taking longer to complete their degree). But for the first time in decades, OBBBA sets firm caps on other loan types: Parent PLUS loans will now be capped at $20,000 per child, with a $65,000 lifetime cap per student. Graduate PLUS loans will be eliminated entirely, leaving the Direct Unsubsidized Loan program as the sole source of Federal borrowing for graduate students – with pre-existing annual caps of $20,500 ($50,000 for professional degrees) and aggregate limits of $100,000 ($200,000 for professional students). The legislation also introduces a new combined lifetime borrowing cap of $257,600 across all Federal loan programs (excluding Parent PLUS loans).

In addition to new borrowing limits, the OBBBA brings major changes to student loan repayment plans. These include a balance-based Standard Repayment plan that will tie repayment terms to loan size, and a new Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan – the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) – that will become the default for many borrowers. RAP calculates monthly payments based on a progressive formula tied to Adjusted Gross Income, fully subsidizes unpaid interest (eliminating negative amortization), and offers forgiveness after 30 years of repayment. All legacy IDR plans will be phased out by July 2028.

Notably, the next few years will present an opportunity for financial advisors to provide critical student loan advice to clients transitioning between repayment plans – particularly for those whose monthly payments will change significantly under different plan options or for those who are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Advisors may also need to revisit college savings strategies with families as Parent PLUS loans become more restricted, which could mean exploring private lending or other alternatives where appropriate.

Ultimately, the key point is that while student loans may be entering a period of more stability, that stability comes with new complexity. Advisors who stay current on the evolving repayment rules, deadlines, legislative changes, and planning implications will be well-positioned to offer tremendous value – both to borrowers navigating repayment and to families rethinking how they'll pay for college!

Evolving Your Leadership Style And Hiring Process As The Firm Grows From 1 To 20+ Team Members: #FASuccess Ep 451 With Maggie Kulyk

August 19, 2025 07:04 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Financial Advisor Success Podcast

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 451st episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today's podcast is Maggie Kulyk. Maggie is the founder of Chicory Wealth, an RIA based in Decatur, Georgia, that operates virtually and oversees $760 million in assets under management for 480 client households.

What's unique about Maggie, though, is how she overcame her initial reluctance to be a manager to build a thriving business that now has more than 20 team members with robust hiring and career development processes in place.

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Maggie went from being a self-described "terrible" manager to leading a sizeable firm with a growing staff count in part by evolving her approach to leadership over time (including by delegating responsibilities that don't match her strengths), how Maggie's firm took a major step forward after she made a key hire whose attention to detail and focus on systems complimented Maggie's strengths in vision setting and moving quickly once decisions are made, and how Maggie has found success by having her leadership team manage the hiring process (with her only seeing applicants at the final stage) to ensure a more sober-minded analysis of candidates (given her natural enthusiasm for people she meets).

We also talk about how Maggie overcame her initial reluctance to transition her clients to other advisors on her team in part by hiring and training homegrown advisors in her firm's style (often finding them through college financial planning programs as well as the Amplified Planning Externship program), how Maggie has found success in hiring by zeroing in on her firm's mission and values (and finding aspiring advisors who are attracted to them), and how Maggie's firm has implemented a career path for new hires to advance from an associate role to a client-facing advisor to dealing with complex client situations (carefully increasing the amount of revenue they are responsible for as they move up the advisor ladder).

And be certain to listen to the end, where Maggie shares why she decided to leave a broker-dealer platform to start her own RIA not based on the potential financial benefits of such a move, but rather because of a desire to be truly fee-only and to build a brand identity centered on socially conscious investing, how Maggie has implemented an internal purchase structure to give next-generation team members a path to firm ownership (without adding risk to their personal balance sheets) and to put the firm in a strong position to thrive when she eventually decides to retire, and how Maggie has found that while personal change has been an important part of her business-building journey, she's ultimately found success by always being true to herself and her values.

So, whether you're interested in learning about leveraging your strengths (and recognizing your weaknesses) as a leader, the challenges that come with transitioning from a smaller advisory practice to a larger business, or how to build a strong team by hiring candidates who are aligned with the firm's mission and values, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Maggie Kulyk.

The 3 Concerns Keeping $25M+ Families Up at Night

August 18, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Practice Management

Many advisors focus on attracting and serving high net worth individuals and families, and with only a limited number of such clients to go around, this can be a competitive space. The higher net worth that a family has, the more that an advisory firm has to stand out in order to gain them as clients. However, advisors who can speak directly to the concerns of this client niche can give themselves a unique – and differentiating – advantage to best serve this segment of the population!

In this 'hybrid' video-based article, Michael Kitces and John Bowen, CEO and founder of CEG Worldwide and CEG Insights (formerly Spectrem Group), dive into CEG's extensive data on what ultra-high net worth (UHNW) families are really worried about and how advisors can serve this group more effectively.

The first major concern is macroeconomic risk. Nearly 80% of UHNW families worry about inflation, market volatility, and geopolitical instability. While they recognize that no advisor can control these forces themselves, most families expect proactive strategies, clear communication, and coordinated access to top-tier specialists who can help them navigate economic uncertainty. Many families seek bespoke guidance at a high level of service on topics such as alternative investments, charitable planning, and estate planning. At the same time, expectations for investment returns have moderated, with many clients content with ‘just’ 6%-8% returns on investment if their portfolio comes with strong principal protection. For advisors, the new challenge lies in clearly aligning their investment philosophy with a client’s concerns: Perhaps by maintaining a consistent strategic allocation or by making tactical adjustments, but in either case showing an awareness of what’s going on in the world and an understanding of how to manage to the current reality.

The second concern for these families centers on security and legacy. Beyond market risk, UHNW families fear threats such as litigation, divorce, and cyberattacks. Multi-generational wealth transfer raises the additional challenge of "will my heirs squander it?": More than three-quarters of UHNW families worry about wasteful heirs and want advisors to engage their children and grandchildren early to prepare them for stewardship responsibilities. At times, this may even extend to creating governance structures (sometimes formalized as family constitutions) that define decision-making and preserve values. Cybersecurity has also emerged as a priority, with many willing to pay for specialized protection, which gives advisors who can connect clients with the right services the opportunity to provide peace of mind without necessarily being cybersecurity experts themselves.

The third concern is quality of life and significance. Many in this wealth bracket are older and acutely aware that without health, wealth is less meaningful. They want access to concierge health and longevity services, along with strategies to ensure that their wealth supports a purposeful, multi-generational legacy. Advisors in this space must think less like "family CFOs" and more like general managers, orchestrating vetted specialists across legal, tax, investment, insurance, philanthropy, and wellness. Importantly, these teams don’t need to be built in-house; clients simply want a coordinated, high-caliber network that works seamlessly on their behalf.

For advisors, moving into the UHNW segment is not a matter of scaling up existing mass-affluent practices or building out more and more in-house services. Instead, it requires fewer but deeper client relationships and robust external partnerships to connect clients with a vetted team of experts to meet their needs. Serving UHNW also demands a proactive, holistic approach that addresses not just financial needs, but also family dynamics, personal security, and quality of life.

Ultimately, the reward of serving UHNW clients is both financial and professional – commanding higher fees for delivering truly differentiated value in a space where 60% of successful entrepreneurs are open to changing advisors within the next two years. Advisors willing to embrace this shift can position themselves as indispensable partners in protecting fortunes, guiding families, and helping clients live lives of lasting significance!

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (August 16–17)

August 15, 2025 02:00 pm 0 Comments CATEGORY: Weekend Reading

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that while a report by Microsoft finding that users of its Copilot Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool were able to successfully complete many tasks associated with financial advice (putting financial advisors in the upper tier of job functions that AI could potentially perform), a separate survey from Northwestern Mutual found that Americans continue to overwhelmingly trust human advisors over AI tools for tasks such as creating a retirement plan, suggesting that while many of the functions performed by a financial advisor could theoretically be done with the assistance of an AI tool, consumers are (at least so far) not convinced that relying on AI is a superior approach (though they did largely express support for their human advisors leveraging AI technology, suggesting that AI tools could be more of a force multiplier for advisors rather than a competitor).

Also in industry news this week:

Morningstar's latest "Mind The Gap" report finds that investors continue to frequently underperform in the total performance of the funds they invest in (due to market timing and other behaviors), suggesting a continued valuable role for advisors in helping them stay on track with their investments (even if clients don't necessarily think they're engaging in 'bad' behavior)
A recent regulatory sanction indicates that merely introducing a communications archiving tool is not sufficient for firms to remain compliant with relevant regulations and that more active oversight is necessary

From there, we have several articles on insurance planning:

Recent data indicate that property and casualty insurance premium increases continue to outpace the broader inflation rate, particularly for clients living in disaster-prone areas
The value for clients of maintaining adequate disability insurance and potential pitfalls to monitor when evaluating different types of coverage
A framework for helping clients determine the 'right' amount of insurance needed for their particular circumstances

We also have a number of articles on investment planning:

Why recent momentum for adding private market investments to workers' 401(k) options could create litigation concerns (and lead to E&O insurance hikes) for RIAs advising on business-owner clients' 401(k) plans
How the introduction of private market investments into target-date and other allocation funds could give clients exposure to these assets without actively choosing to do so
Why some advisors and investors might choose to invest in asset managers sponsoring alternative asset funds rather than buying the funds themselves

We wrap up with three final articles, all about living abroad:

Four ways for clients to retire abroad, from leveraging a "golden visa" to taking extended 90-day stays in multiple countries each year
The ups and downs of life as a "digital nomad", from the opportunities for adventure to the weight of handling the logistics of frequent moves
Key issues for advisors working with cross-border clients, including the tax implications of moving to a particular country to the logistics of banking and fund transfers while abroad

Enjoy the 'light' reading!

Find Your ‘Cyborg Advisor’ Sweet Spot: Blend AI Into Your Firm By Understanding How Clients Make Financial Decisions

August 13, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Practice Management, Technology & Advisor FinTech

Financial advice and technology have grown alongside each other – as technology has evolved and expanded, so too have advisory firm services. And as trading, portfolio rebalancing, and financial plan construction have become more efficient, advisors have increasingly focused on holistic advice, financial psychology, and behavioral coaching to complement their technical expertise. Now, with the rapid growth of AI across the financial services industry, questions about whether technology might one day replace human advisors are taking on renewed importance.

In this article, Derek Tharp, Lead Researcher at Kitces.com and Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Southern Maine, explores how advisors can use AI as a tool to augment – not replace – their advice and client relationships. While AI excels at tasks like prediction and computation, it struggles to understand human values, especially since people often don't have a clear or consistent understanding of their own. A client's reluctance to invest in equities or delay Social Security, for instance, may stem from deep-seated beliefs, personal preferences, or a mix of both. And as advisors know, financial advice often goes beyond identifying the 'correct' or 'most optimal' answer – it's also about connection, reassurance, and helping clients uncover their true priorities. While AI can mimic language patterns and simulate empathy, it lacks the lived human perspective necessary for genuine emotional resonance – which can limit the trust clients are willing to place in it, especially when navigating sensitive or complex life decisions.

That said, AI brings real strengths – particularly in data analysis, operational consistency, and computational efficiency. Tools powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) can summarize meeting notes, automate routine communications, and eventually synthesize insights across disparate systems. Advisors adopting these tools will need to ensure that the AI's output is current and that the technology integrates well with their workflows. But when used thoughtfully, AI can help advisors be more present, especially in client meetings!

This emerging hybrid model of the 'cyborg advisor' blends the technical precision of machines with the emotional intelligence and nuanced judgment of human professionals. Looking ahead, AI integration may center around CRMs, financial planning software, document management systems, or middleware AI assistants. Each approach has advantages and tradeoffs. Financial planning software may be particularly well-positioned to become the central hub, with its ability to generate accurate projections and precisely modeled planning scenarios. But CRMs, with their centralized data and integration potential, also have a strong case – especially if they expand their planning functionality. Whatever the tool, these systems can help advisors work smarter, provide more value to clients, and enhance the planning process – all without compromising the integrity of human judgment.

Ultimately, financial planning is rooted in trust, empathy, and the ability to navigate personal values – with a foundation of technical knowledge. As advice continues to evolve, advisors can combine their human strengths with the efficiency of AI to create better client outcomes. Those who embrace this hybrid approach – using AI to enhance, rather than replace, their capabilities – will be well-positioned to thrive in the changing landscape of financial advice!

Adding $80M To Your Practice In 7 Years By Providing Financial Education Through Local Seminars: #FASuccess Ep 450 With Ryan Morrissey

August 12, 2025 07:02 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Financial Advisor Success Podcast

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 450th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today's podcast is Ryan Morrissey. Ryan is the founder of Morrissey Wealth Management, an RIA based in North Haven, Connecticut, that oversees $140 million in assets under management for 150 client households.

What's unique about Ryan, though, is how he has added $80 million of client assets during the past seven years primarily by holding in-person educational retirement planning seminars that attract his ideal target client.

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Ryan organizes his seminars as two three-hour classes held over the course of two weeks (which gives him plenty of time to build a personal connection with attendees), how Ryan offers a personal consultation to seminar participants as an optional third “session” (framing it as something they have already paid for as part of the class fee), and how Ryan typically gets two new clients from each class session (representing an average total of $1.7 million in assets) generating revenue that exceeds his costs for holding the seminars in their first year with his firm alone.

We also talk about how Ryan gets logistical support for his seminars by offering them through local public adult education programs (which secure appropriate classroom space and facilitate participant registration), how Ryan has found that charging for the seminars has led to greater participant engagement (and why he’s willing to let the adult education programs keep the registration fees from his seminars given the revenue that comes from new clients who find him through the classes), and how Ryan markets his seminars by sending mailers targeted at households in his area that fit his target age and wealth profile.

And be certain to listen to the end, where Ryan shares his experiences working in the wirehouse, independent broker-dealer, and RIA channels (and how he’s thrived after gaining the independence that firm ownership can provide), how Ryan has navigated ongoing compliance obligations as an independent RIA (first successfully handling it by himself and now working with a compliance firm as he’s passed the threshold for SEC registration), and how Ryan ultimately experienced significant client and AUM growth after making the leap to firm ownership, going fee-only, and simplifying his service and investment planning offerings.

So, whether you’re interested in learning about how to organize effective in-person educational seminars, finding key outsourcing partners to reduce the time needed to put them on, or getting a strong return (in the form of new clients) on marketing dollars spent on promoting seminars, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Ryan Morrissey.

How 3-Member “Triangle Teams” Maximize Per-Advisor and Per-Employee Revenue (Latest From Kitces Research)

August 11, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Practice Management, Research

The smallest advisory firms – especially those run by unsupported solo advisors – often find that early success brings growing operational demands that strain their time, energy, and wellbeing. Yet after adding team members to grow their firms, many advisors discover that their capacity challenges are replaced by new inefficiencies stemming from the need to coordinate across multiple people, leaving them without the calendar control they had hoped to gain.

In this article, Mark Tenenbaum, Kitces.com's Director of Advisor Research, explores findings from the latest Kitces Research study on advisor productivity, "How Financial Planners Actually Do Financial Planning". The research highlights that the three-member "Triangle Team" – consisting of one lead advisor and two support staff, typically a Client Service Associate and an Associate Advisor – tends to be the most effective team structure for maximizing productivity. The typical Triangle Teams produce an impressive $1.2 million in average revenue per advisor and $412,000 per employee, outperforming all other team configurations, which adds Service Advisors but results in lower productivity per advisor and per employee.

The success of Triangle Teams lies in their ability to balance what Kitces Research describes as the "leverage-coordination trade-off". Smaller teams consisting of one or two members inherently avoid the coordination challenges that increase with team size, but they often lack the staffing leverage needed to free up the Senior Advisor to focus on business development. By contrast, larger teams provide advisors with this leverage, but their additional seats often fail to translate into productivity gains because they introduce two key inefficiencies relating to coordinating across too many members: the "Management Tax" and the "Shared-Clients Tax".

These two inefficiencies take shape in distinct but compounding ways. The Management Tax occurs when Senior Advisors must spend more time onboarding, training, and managing staff – time that doesn't scale with team size. The Shared-Clients Tax arises when multiple lead advisors serve the same clients, requiring additional meetings, handoffs, and coordination that detract from client-facing work. Triangle Teams strike the optimal balance: Two support staff provide enough leverage to offload lower-value tasks while staying lean enough to avoid excessive coordination demands.

For solo or two-member practices, moving toward a 1+2 Triangle Team structure can be a strategic path to growth. Hiring a CSA first, followed by an Associate Advisor, can significantly boost productivity – if timed between the "profitability wall" (when hiring becomes financially viable) and the "capacity wall" (when help becomes urgently necessary). Proactive planning and structured onboarding – especially for Associate Advisors – are essential for success.

Larger teams that aren't positioned to reduce headcount can still improve efficiency by implementing systematized workflows and quarterly client service calendars. Defined processes ease the delegation burden on Senior Advisors, while quarterly client service calendars help prevent overservicing and clarify responsibilities. According to Kitces Research, teams that use four planning periods per year – each focused on a single planning domain – tend to achieve the best mix of client value and internal efficiency.

Ultimately, while three-member Triangle Teams can be a powerful model for enhancing productivity, each firm has the opportunity to define the team structure that best supports its unique mission and the lives its advisors want to lead. Whether the goal is to scale revenue, create more time for client relationships, or design a business that sustains a fulfilling lifestyle, understanding the trade-offs between leverage, coordination, and growth can help advisors make satisfying decisions with greater clarity and confidence!

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (August 9–10)

August 8, 2025 02:00 pm 0 Comments CATEGORY: Weekend Reading

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent report from The Ensemble Practice finds that advisory firms are in a period of "prosperous stagnation" with strong profitability (with the firms surveyed showing a record average operating profit margin of 39.2% in 2024) but organic growth falling short of targets (an average of 3.1% below the average firm growth goal of 10.0%). The report suggests that while many firms have streamlined operations and experienced tailwinds from strong equity markets the past couple years, bringing on new clients has been a challenge for some (highlighting that fast-growing firms tend to allocate larger shares of their budgets to marketing, expenditures which could crimp profitability in the short run but lead to greater opportunities in the long run).

Also in industry news this week:

Artificial Intelligence (AI), anti-money laundering, and cybersecurity top the list of concerns amongst RIA compliance officers, according to a recent survey, as firms adjust to a rapidly evolving technological and regulatory environment
An Executive Order signed this week intends to clear the way for 401(k)s to be able to offer private equity, cryptocurrencies, and other alternative assets in their investment lineups

From there, we have several articles on retirement planning:

The potential value of incorporating "income risk" (which can be a particular concern for clients nearing retirement, as well as those just staring out) when considering client portfolio allocations
Four ways to beat "sequence of return risk", including incorporating flexible spending rules, holding "buffer" assets, and more
Why a "rising equity glidepath" in retirement can improve client outcomes and how advisors can effectively communicate this (perhaps counterintuitive) strategy to clients

We also have a number of articles on practice management:

Why establishing a strong firm culture is not just a matter of having an established mission and values, but is also a matter of understanding the employee experience and getting buy-in from all team members
How an effective firm-wide retreat can both bring the team closer together and give the business a clearer sense of direction for the coming months
How establishing a "Culture Committee" helped one firm improve employee morale and retention after a particularly stressful period

We wrap up with three final articles, all about college planning: