Life Events

The C-suites and boardrooms of corporate America should be on high alert entering 2025.

Financial loss is one of the most common secondary losses. The death of a family breadwinner can bring crushing financial uncertainty. Even when the deceased was not the primary earner, grief can derail financial stability.

Here are three ways to help you find balance in your business – and perhaps find opportunities for growth along the way.

We all know someone who has passed away without their affairs in order. As financial advisors, we have a responsibility to ensure that this doesn’t happen to our clients.

Double-digit increases in rates are common. I’m definitely feeling the pain, as I suspect you are. So here are a few things I do to help my clients save some money.

Joel Liu, J.D. Head of Advanced Sales MassMutual Strategic Distributors, discusses the impending wealth transfer.

For a twist on this week’s column, I will share some stress management techniques I often teach to help mitigate the overwhelming feeling of “I can’t do this all!” and to find ways to enjoy the December rush.

Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Inc. wealth executives are seeing private markets increasingly shape their businesses, marking a major shift from liquid assets that historically drove financial markets.

Dana Rhodes is the COO of Axtella, contributing valuable expertise on money matters and crafting impactful wealth management programs.

Understanding how money impacts human behavior and psychology may help serve your clients effectively.

BlackRock Inc. agreed to buy HPS Investment Partners in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $12 billion, a purchase that will propel the world’s largest asset manager into the highest ranks of private credit.

It’s the anniversary of the first-ever controlled nuclear fission chain reaction. And it’s the day that Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001.

As more women find themselves sandwiched between caring for their children and aging relatives, many struggle to balance their short-term responsibilities with their long-term financial plans.

Don’t let your clients lose sight of their goals in financial complexity. Give them the clarity and simplicity they crave with a one-page plan that’s tailored to their unique needs.

News broke this week that the US Department of Justice wants to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell Chrome, its dominant web browser. That has led to much head scratching in the tech industry.

The second coming of Donald Trump is unquestionably bad news for Germany.

Sirion Skulpone of Goldman Sachs Asset Management talks through the risks of being concentrated in individual stocks.

Gen Z and millennials are widely considered to be the most diverse and socially conscious generations yet. They are vocal about their interest in driving social impact. And their values and priorities dictate their actions, all of which are actively shaping the future.

Our model, How America Spends, has been tracking the purchasing behavior of 135 million U.S. households since 2014. This model is not a black box – it is a data file representing the spending of 135 million households on goods and services since 2014.

Let's keep our client meetings focused and manageable. By doing so, we not only respect their time and attention but also increase the likelihood of them taking the necessary steps to achieve their financial goals.

While baby boomers can be slower to embrace technology, younger investors tend to seek out and prefer tech-focused services and providers. This preference for technology is something advisors should lean into to connect with younger generations of investors.

Despite being the generations with the most knowledge, experience and potential resources, many are still unsure about their financial future.

In the midst of grieving your loved one’s loss and making funeral arrangements, you may also be responsible for finalizing their estate, which could include inheriting real estate.

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks, caused by tears or holes in the spinal cord, are rare and difficult to identify. Because the symptoms aren’t uncommon — including nausea, neck pain, ringing in the ears and debilitating positional headaches — patients can spend years without a proper diagnosis. Some have been told they have allergies.

The 2024 presidential campaign was marked by two assassination attempts, a candidate switch, divisive rhetoric and warnings about the fate of democracy. And that may have only been the beginning.

Next-generation investors are looking for more than just traditional portfolio managements, and advisors should look to meet those expectations.

Consistent communication through market events is vital for advisors concerned about client retention.

The age of a typical homebuyer jumped to an all-time high of 56 in the US, with many young people locked out of the housing market while older owners tap their accumulated home equity for cash purchases or to make large down payments, according to a report.

Bill Bernstein digs into a book that follows the complicated history of Elon Musk's chaotic acquisition of Twitter and its subsequent transformation into X.

The "ideal life" is a harmful myth that can distort perceptions of success and happiness. By recognizing different values and goals, you can foster a more inclusive – and realistic – understanding of what it means to lead a fulfilling life.

When done effectively, your outsourced team of professionals can help improve efficiencies, increase productivity, and scale profitably – all while giving you the freedom to focus on what you’re most passionate about.

There is a demographic that likes to work with you and consistently hires you – you probably just don’t have it defined for you and your team. If you don’t know who you work best with, there is no way that your prospect efforts will be profitable. Rather, they will be coincidental.

Here, we'll explore why serving family offices is a natural fit for many RIAs, discuss the considerations that need to be factored in when launching an MFO practice, and offer a roadmap for successfully building one.

Been with the same employer for 10 years or more? That doesn’t exactly make you a rarity in the US, where 30.2% of employed wage and salary workers were in that situation as of January 2024, according to data released last month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And while this percentage is down from a decade ago, it’s close to where things stood for the much of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

One of the only things growing faster than progress in AI applications is speculation about AI’s effect on the economy. I don’t have all the answers, not by a long shot, but I do think we should expect great unevenness in adaptation, and that itself will alter our world.

As Steward Health Care Systems LLC’s network of hospitals was struggling, it stopped paying some of its vendors. One of those vendors was a supplier of bereavement boxes, the tiny cases used to transport the remains of newborns who don’t survive.

It's important to stay informed regarding the latest updates to 529 college savings plans, for both current account holders and prospective savers. In recent years there have been significant changes, including The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act in December of 2022, which helps enhance the flexibility and benefits of 529 plans.

The cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the last few decades, and shows no signs of slowing. That’s why it’s more important than ever that parents start saving as early as possible for their children’s future.

Opening a 529 college savings account can be a smart move if you’d like to save for college on a tax-advantaged basis. One thing to consider when opening a 529 plan is whether it should be a custodial or individual account. While both allow you to save for college costs and enjoy some tax breaks, they differ in terms of who has control of the account and the assets in it.

529 plans are one of the most popular ways Americans save for the college expenses of their children. As of June 2024, there were 16.8 million 529 savings accounts holding $508 billion, according to the College Savings Plan Network.

There are only a couple of workable options. You can’t tell someone like this she isn’t listening or that you feel shut down when you speak with her. That will only lead to defensiveness.

This article will explore how to increase your AUM by capturing assets in trusts and DAFs, explain the difference between directed and traditional trustees, and discuss why designating a directed trustee and an advisor-friendly DAF is in the client’s best interest.

With over 20 years of experience in web design and development, I’ve seen firsthand how the right website can transform a financial advisor’s business.

The looming wealth transfer from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation to younger generations is set to reshape the financial landscape in unprecedented ways. Estimated at $84 trillion, this transition is a huge financial event.