“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning, industry trends, career development, and more. *** This installment of Financial Planning Articles starts with two investment-related articles that go against conventional wisdom. The first features Michael Kitces and his findings that increasing equity exposure at retirement, rather than decreasing, is warranted. The second touches on the idea that effectiveness rather than efficiency is sometimes justified with portfolio construction and in many other areas of finance. We then move to three articles centered around Generation Y and Z. The first takes a look at how colleges and soon-to-be graduates are responding to the…

“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning, industry trends, career development, and more. *** This edition begins with two articles covering today’s client preferences and industry trends. The first provides more data points showing clients prefer technology to complement, rather than replace, human financial advice. The second suggests Schwab is positioning itself well for this dynamic, announcing this week a new version of its robo-advisor platform on a monthly, subscription-fee basis. The next two articles center around advisor marketing and public relations with the first highlighting all of the benefits of creating a client persona and how to develop one.…

“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning, industry trends, career development, and more. *** This edition begins with two articles on the topic of advisor value. The first, from Sarah Max with Barron’s, provides a recap of industry studies showing the significantly positive impact advisors continue to have on client finances. Michael Kitces and behavioral finance specialist Carl Richards continue the topic in their inaugural collaboration (of what may turn into a series) discussing the multiple sources of advisor value (while teasing how to frame value with clients). We then turn to a financial planning practice article on the growing…

“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning, industry trends, career development, and more. *** This installment features a heavy dose of personal and career development articles from both Michael Kitces at Kitces.com and Shane Parrish at Farnam Street. Kitces explains why what may feel like “paying your dues” as a new advisor is really just a necessary aspect of learning the skills of the profession. His second article reviews strategies for satisfying the CFP Board experience requirements as a career changer. Parrish’s articles cover productivity (and doing less in order to do more) and learning how to learn and better…

“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning. *** What I’m Reading: Planning Profession Robo Advisor Wealthfront Makes Automated Financial Planning Free (Anne Tergesen, The Wall Street Journal) “Among other things, Wealthfront’s financial planning service can tell clients how much they should save, how much they can afford to spend on a home, and how much to save for a child to attend college, using projections of future costs for specific U.S. schools along with estimates of the family’s financial aid. The service also assesses the impact of each financial decision on a client’s retirement plans.” Advisor Shortage? What Advisor Shortage? (Charles Paikert,…

“Financial Planning Articles” is a collection of articles and research that I’ve been reading regarding financial planning. *** What I’m Reading: Personal/Career Development Transitioning Part-Time Into Financial Planning As A Career Changer (Michael Kitces, Kitces.com) “I consequently often get this question, “Can I transition into being a financial advisor on a part-time basis as a career-changer?” For which I have to admit, I think the answer largely is no.” How To Email Someone You Haven’t Talked To In Forever (Rebecca Zucker, Harvard Business Review) “However, over the years, we often lose touch with people in our network as work, family, and other demands fill our limited time. As if reaching out to…