Markets Are Seemingly “Climbing the Wall of Worry”

Markets rallied mid-week in response to remarks made on Wednesday by Federal Reserve Board of Governors Chairman Jerome Powell, raising hopes that inflation is receding and that most of the rate increases are behind us. Below is a graph for the week just passed depicting the price performance of popular US stock market indices. You…

Read More

Keys to Excellent Customer Service For Advisors

  Financial advisors build their businesses around relationships, but those relationships go far beyond your occasional face-to-face interactions. Your clients’ view of their relationship extends to many other touch points with your business, including your staff, technology, and digital communications. Keeping these relationships strong is the lifeblood of your business – an operation best not…

Read More

Talking About Recessions with Your Clients

  The topic of recession has been a tense one in 2022, dominated by murky political arguments and definitions. Regardless of how your clients individually define recession, some degree of fear is the norm when it comes to personal financial plans. They’re trying to figure out what a recession will mean for their finances and…

Read More

Santa Claus Rally 2022?

Markets were up last week in an abbreviated trading week (see chart below).     As we close November and ring in December, the debate among investors is whether we get a classical year-end “Santa Claus” rally. While a year-end rally has been reliable in the last many years, this year has been full of…

Read More

A Fresh Earnings Perspective

Here’s a fundamental truth: In the long term, stock prices follow earnings. With earnings season for the third quarter largely over, corporate earnings have remained relatively strong while forward earnings estimates are only slightly declining as recession expectations persist. According to FactSet: “Overall, 94% of the companies in the S&P 500 have reported actual results…

Read More

Holiday Marketing for Financial Advisors

  The holiday season is nearly upon us, as stores like Costco remind us with their artificial Christmas tree displays going up on October 1st. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and everything in between has a way of filling our lives and conversations. And while not every part of life revolves around financial planning, there are…

Read More

Using Webinar Marketing for Financial Advisors

By now, most of us are familiar with Zoom Meetings. Since the pandemic, you’ve likely attended at least a handful of Zoom meetings and perhaps, even hosted a few. But if you’re scrolling through this post today, it’s because you’re entering new territory. For many advisors, our familiarity as attendees doesn’t translate to confidence as…

Read More

Creating a Strategy for Centers of Influence (COI) as an Advisor

Financial advisors are increasingly familiar with the strategy “Centers of Influence” (COI) when it comes to networking strategies. It goes beyond the normal power of networking though. By focusing on specific gatekeepers, you can multiply the ROI on your time and resources. Today, we’re taking a step beyond talking about COI’s. We’re focusing on intentional…

Read More

A Nice Relief Rally

Here is what the major US stock market indexes did last week:     Thursday’s return was a larger one-day upward move that has many proclaiming the worst of the bear market is over. The move on Thursday and the follow-through on Friday are largely a response to the annualized CPI reading of 7.7%, which…

Read More

All Hallows Eve and Fed Week: Trick or Treat?

  Sometimes the cliché headline is the right choice! While the stock market is completing one of its best months in a long time (see chart above), we enter this week on All Hallows Eve with the specter of another 75-basis point increase in the Fed Funds rate on Wednesday. Many hope the Fed will…

Read More

Overcoming “Value Prop Inflation” as a Financial Advisor

  “What is your value proposition as a financial advisor?” If we were to ask you this question today, how would you answer? Most advisors wouldn’t have to strain too hard to produce an answer, but there’s a second question. “Is your answer enough to set you apart?” Today, we’re tackling the tough question of…

Read More

The Beginning of Earnings Season

Weekly Note Commentary || October 10, 2022 This week marks the start of 3rd quarter earnings reports. We will see only a small trickle of earnings announcements this week and then get into full swing next week. Earnings season will continue into mid-November. Earnings reports take on a heightened level of importance this quarter given…

Read More