Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” – this week’s edition kicks off with the news that a recent report finds that the number of SEC-registered RIAs, the assets that they manage, and the number of clients they serve all increased between 2023 and 2024 and suggests the industry is robust across the size spectrum, with both smaller and mid-sized firms seeing growth (often pushing them into higher size brackets and/or from state to SEC registration) and remains attractive to new entrants, whether those moving over from other models or totally new firms.
Also in industry news this week:
- ETFs remain the most commonly used investment vehicle among advisors, according to a recent survey, while some “alternative” assets saw the greatest growth rates in terms of adoption over the past year
- Several large brokerages have jettisoned their robo-advisor arms, signaling the challenges they faced in acquiring users of these services at a low cost as well as the value that human advisors can provide compared to their digital counterparts
From there, we have several articles on retirement planning:
- Why pursuing financial independence is often more a matter of gaining flexibility rather than merely seeking leaving the workforce as soon as possible
- What the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement has contributed to the broader personal financial discourse and why more extreme implementations of its practices could create challenges for its followers
- Two alternative types of “retirement” that could provide clients with greater flexibility without necessarily leaving the workforce permanently
We also have a number of articles on supporting clients in the home-buying process:
- How advisors can add value by helping clients understand when they might be buying “too much” house
- Why the lifestyle benefits of buying a particular home could outweigh financial considerations for some clients when such a purchase doesn’t seem to make sense ‘on paper’
- How advisors can take an actuarial approach to help retired clients assess the implications of a potential home purchase on the sustainability of their financial plan
We wrap up with three final articles, all about building relationships:
- Why social relationships, rather than individual effort, are often at the heart of personal and professional success
- How to find time to connect with colleagues on a personal level when everyone in the (virtual) office is busy
- How finding belonging in professional or personal affinity groups can lead to greater connections and personal fulfillment
Enjoy the ‘light’ reading!
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