Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” – this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth has launched an investigation into how investment firms are using artificial intelligence-enabled technologies, echoing concerns expressed by the SEC that these tools could be used to put the firms’ interests ahead of their clients if the methods of the developers who create the tools and the ‘training’ the AI goes through is not scrutinized sufficiently.
Also in industry news this week:
- A bill that would allow funds in 529 plans to be used for postsecondary credentials, including the CFP certification, is gaining significant bipartisan support in Congress
- A recent survey identified key topics on which financial advisors and investors have mismatched views, from expected investment returns to how they view risk
From there, we have several articles on investment planning:
- Why ESG investing appears to be facing skepticism from an increasing number of financial professionals
- How advisors can best support clients interested in Biblically Responsible Investing
- How fractional share investing has evolved form a tool for individuals with low account balances to a key enabler of direct indexing strategies that are valuable to a wider range of clients
We also have a number of articles on advisor marketing:
- How taking an intentional approach can help advisors win more referrals from Centers Of Influence (COIs)
- How ‘taking a walk in the shoes’ of key COIs can help advisors better explain their value proposition to these partners and generate more referrals
- A 3-step approach that advisors can use to build relationships with COIs and get exposure to their clients
We wrap up with 3 final articles, all about professional growth:
- Why making tough decisions now, rather than putting them off, can ultimately benefit a firm’s bottom line, as well as its clients and staff
- 5 pieces of time-tested advice that can help advisors improve their productivity and client service
- Why some advisors are choosing to turn away from serving high-net-worth clients
Enjoy the ‘light’ reading!
