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Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” – this week’s edition kicks off with the news that customer arbitration claims related to the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023, suggesting that greater awareness among investors of the increased standards for broker-dealers and their registered representatives could lead to greater accountability for violations of the regulation. Further, data from FINRA also indicate that claims related to bond investments remain elevated, perhaps spurred by losses in the fixed income portions of customer portfolios amidst the rising rate environment, potentially serving as a warning to RIAs as well that their clients (and regulators) could take a closer look at advisor’s recommendations related to bond allocations. 

Also in industry news this week:

• The SEC has penalized 2 firms for false and misleading claims related to their use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), signaling the regulator’s interest in advisers’ “AI-washing” practices
• A research report suggests that fee-only RIAs with strong organic growth and enhanced service offerings for their clients are likely to be the most attractive acquisition targets in the coming year

From there, we have several articles on investments:

• While buffer ETFs allow investors to participate in (a portion of) the upside of the stock market while mitigating losses (up to a limit), investing effectively in these funds can be complicated and expensive
• Structured notes could be attractive for certain clients seeking investment income, but they come with a range of risks, from liquidity concerns to the potential for the issuing bank to default
• Investment strategies betting on continued muted volatility are gaining in popularity, though observers worry that some of these wagers could exacerbate a future market downturn

We also have a number of articles on branding:

• Why company culture is the foundation of a firm’s brand and how leaders can evaluate whether their firm is on solid footing
• How advisory firms can maintain their unique brand while taking advantage of generative AI tools like ChatGPT
• How advisors can build their personal brand and link it to their professional identity to better attract clients

We wrap up with 3 final articles, all about burnout:

• The primary factors that lead to employee burnout and what firm leaders can do to create a more sustainable work environment 
• Why saying ‘no’ to requests and opportunities more often can lead to less stress, and how individuals can overcome the psychological hurdles of doing so  
• Tactics for overcoming “workaholism”, from conducting regular self-check-ins to getting more sleep and exercise

Enjoy the ‘light’ reading!

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