FINSUM
In an article for LPL Financial, the firm discussed some methods for how financial advisors can build a pipeline of potential clients to ensure the growth and longevity of their practice.
The first step is to identify your prospecting strategy. This entails identifying key goals and metrics for each step of the client journey to ensure that consistent effort and focus is being applied at all stages. There should also be some sort of system to monitor outreach to prospects, quickly follow up, assess whether the prospect is a good fit, and conversion into clients.
The next step is to identify your key values and differentiators. Then, share this with your target audience. This step is critical in helping prospects understand why you chose the profession, and what you stand for.
An important element of this step is to figure out your ideal client and then focus your outreach efforts on this niche. Then, you can brainstorm ways to connect with that target audience whether it's through advocacy groups, social media, community events, etc.
Finally, you should ask for referrals from existing clients as they are likely to have the best understanding of who among their friends and colleagues would be receptive to learning about your approach to helping them reach their financial goals.
Finsum: Financial advisors need to build and nurture their pipeline of prospects to ensure that their practice continues to grow and has longevity.
In an article for the Financial Times, Derek Brower discussed recent weakness in energy stocks due to increasing worries of a recession despite a recent string of strong earnings reports. This follows a two year rally which was fueled by production cuts in 2020, a better than expected economy, and the war in Ukraine.
Last year, the energy sector was up more than 50%, while the S&P 500 finished down double-digits. This year in contrast, the S&P 500 has an 8% gain, while the energy sector is down 5%.
According to Wall Street analysts, investors are looking past companies’ strong results due to expectations that recent trouble in the banking sector will translate into reduced economic activity and demand for crude oil.
Another indication is that dividend yields in energy stocks are nearly double those found in financial stocks and quadruple those of tech stocks. Inflation is proving to be a significant headwind as production costs have increased, eroding margins with lower oil prices. Another is that productivity in the Permian Basin has declined by 30% over the last 2 years, another reason that margin contraction is likely.
Finsum: Following major outperformance in 2022, energy stocks have underperformed so far this year due to increasing recession fears.
Calling Donnie Deutsch….calling Donnie Deutsch.
Line, um, two. Go ahead.
Good thing, too, because, like a vigorous workout, developing a brand -- from pinpointing a name to a logo, can almost feel as if it’s pushing you to your limits What’s more, if branding and marketing isn’t in your DNA, the challenge is magnified, according to lpl.com.
Your creative chops aside, to build your financial practice, your best bet’s a methodical approach:
- Define your value proposition
- Pick your DBA name
- Develop a logo
- Develop a Website
- Execute with Consistency
Brand equity, of course, is the gauge of the perceived value of a brand name product, according to quatrics.com.
Nurture yours – because it abets your ability to squeeze more out of profit margins.
Brand equity is defined by the added value associated with a brand name that rings a bell among those who hear it. In fact, when it comes to brand loyalty, it’s all in. That’s not all; it can help ascertain pricing.
Um, fixed income investors seemingly were more than glad to host the going away party, according to JP Morgan.com.
That’s especially in the aftermath of one of the worse years on records for bonds. The culprit? Yep; the Fed, and its hyper active barrage of rate hikes. And, yes again, the last of it should spell stability this year to the bond market. That said, investor should bear in mind:
How far will the Fed go before concluding its rate hiking campaign?
How might credit perform in a year where both economic and profit growth are set to slow?
How will impaired liquidity impact price action?
Now, on one hand, of course, with volatility comes risk. But it also can be the land of opportunity, according to lazardassetmanagement.com. Consequently, investors shouldn’t duck and dodge fixed income like a bill collector but embrace the possible upside by going eye to eye and confronting volatility.
“In this unusual environment, we believe investors may want to move out of a passive mindset and consider investments beyond ‘plain vanilla’ bonds. By being creative, being active, and diversifying globally, investors can find fixed income solutions that may set up portfolios for the longer term with attractive return potential.”
Algo Chain, a fintech wealth management startup, is launching an AI powered toolkit subscription service which utilizes ChatGPT 3.5 Turbo. The service offers a variety of ETF model portfolios that use technical signals and macro data points to help users navigate markets and optimize asset allocation.
The AI is designed to generate signals and suggest allocations based on historical precedent. It enables advisors to sort through thousands of ETFs to find the ideal combination of factors to suit a client’s needs.
Given the proliferation of AI tools following the release of ChatGPT 3.0 earlier this year, it’s not surprising to see the technology applied to wealth management. The company believes that the bulk of a portfolio’s returns are due to asset allocation. Thus, it offers insight into how various asset allocations have performed in various circumstances.
This is Algo Chain’s second model portfolio offering. Earlier this year, it launched six model portfolios in tandem with HANetf, representing various themes. It’s expected that we will continue to see a proliferation of AI-backed tools to enhance model portfolio offerings over the coming months.
Finsum: Algo Chain is launching an AI powered toolkit to help enhance and optimize ETF model portfolios offerings.
In an article for InvestmentNews, Jeff Benjamin discussed the need for succession planning especially as there are about 100,000 advisors that are expected to retire over the next decade. In total, they are estimated to control $10 trillion in assets.
Of this group, 45% intend to transfer ownership to employees or a family member. Around 30% are looking for an external transition, while 25% do not have a firm succession plan. According to industry insiders, this is a major challenge for the industry especially as succession plans take time to prepare. Additionally, there needs to be guidelines for alternative scenarios especially as fewer young people are entering the industry.
Even in the event of a sale, there are complications and contingencies that need to be considered such as your clients’ comfort and the financing of such a transaction. With internal transitions, unexpected events can also arise such as relationships souring with prospective owners that result in a shift of strategy or advisors being recruited away to other firms.
Finsum: Financial advisors need to have a succession plan. This is especially critical given the wave of retirements that is expected to hit over the next decade.
In an article for MarketWatch, Morey Stettner discussed various options for alternative investments including non-traded real estate, private debt, venture capital and hedge funds. The asset class delivered strong returns in 2022 especially compared to stocks and bonds.
Looking ahead to the next decade, alternative investments are expected to fare better especially as they offer diversification to investors with the potential for higher returns. The traditional 60/40 allocation does not seem sufficient for a higher-rate, higher-inflation regime, and alternatives could be one solution for advisors to help clients reach their goals.
There are also some additional considerations about alternatives that advisors need to understand. For one, money isn’t immediately deployed especially in private equity and venture capital. Additionally, money often cannot be immediately redeemed, while there is less transparency about pricing in less liquid markets.
Many investors see opportunities in private real estate and venture capital especially as savvy managers will be able to take advantage of the dislocations in these arenas. Many also believe the asset class would outperform in a recession or inflation scenario which would likely continue to be a major headwind for stocks and bonds.
Finsum: Alternative investments continue to attract interest especially due to stocks and bonds coming off a poor year in 2022.
Fixed income: yer up.
While it was hardly a go to when rates were south, they’ve rediscovered their mojo, with a hefty infusion of capital, according to prominent investors at a recent major industry conference in Beverly Hills, reported money.usnews.com.
Fund managers at the Milken Institute Global Conference said among popular products are bond funds.
So, what’s going on? Well, given the uncertainty over interest rates, a potential recession and U.S. debt default, stocks and real estate are getting the cold shoulder.
"Things are very different now," said Elizabeth Burton, a managing director and client investment strategist at Goldman Sachs.
"You get a good sense of consensus at these conferences," noted Katie Koch, president and CEO of investment firm TCW. "And I think people are still feeling a little too good."
Heading into the second quarter, Principal Financial Group indicated there were opportunities for investors in fixed income; that is, if they’re up to brooking rocky times in the short run. The tradeoff? Results in the long run, according to seekingalpha.com.
Financial practices have an opportunity.
And it’s golden.
According to Tim Gerend, executive vice president and chief distribution officer at Northwestern Mutual, his firm’s annual Planning & Progress Study found that more than half of U.S. adults are anxious about their finances, reported thinkadvisor.com. This was part of remarks he made at the recent 2023 LIMRA Distribution Conference in Orlando.
On top of that, as for their financial future, they feel far from certain.
Fortunately, to help them prop up their security, Americans embrace the idea of seeking the help of financial advisors to help them formulate financial plans.
While that means the opportunity is ripe for the industry to build its impact and assist those who need it, Houston, we have a problem: the dearth of financial professional to handle the load.
That said, advisors should bear this in mind: If they’re not leveraging social media, you have company according to blackrock.com.:
Forty four percent of financial advisors don’t indulge. Okay, so that might not prevent you from succeeding, ask yourself a question: how will your growth remain on track given that among young investors, social media’s their “go to” when considering and choosing financial professionals among service providers.
In an article for Reuters, Mike Dolan discussed the widening gap between market volatility which has been trending lower since October of last year and headlines of various geopolitical, financial, and economic risks that are increasingly dominating headlines. The Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates despite signs that the economy continues to decelerate, considerable stress in the banking system, increasing chatter of a ‘technical default’ for the US Treasury if the debt ceiling is breached, and important data points in the coming weeks in the form of earnings from tech giants and the April jobs report.
Despite these potential threats, the VIX, which measures stock market volatility, reached its lowest levels since November 2021. The stock market is also nearing a 20% move rise from its October lows, which many market participants would define as a new bull market. Volatility is similarly depressed in the Treasury market and the currency markets despite upcoming central bank meetings, indicating that this divergence between the VIX and headline risk is not unique to equities.
Finsum: There is a widening gap between various headline risk and market measures of volatility which are at multi month lows.