InvestmentSense

Advisors who’ve earned a Certified Professional Wealth Advisor ^® (CPWA ^®) certification earn nearly four times the assets per client than non-CPWA practices. That’s according to a recent study conducted by the Aite Group, which attributes the certification to superior levels of knowledge and success. The study, “ Building High-Net-Worth Knowledge Through the CPWA Certification,” gathered input from 436 advisors, including 77 with a CPWA certification. When asked about the benefits of their certification, more than 65 percent reported that it had significantly improved client trust, as well as their knowledge and confidence of investment management. On average, CPWA advisors have 2.9 years of experience more than non-CPWA advisors, suggesting a credibility and expertise clients can rely on. Most importantly, this is demonstrated by revenue generated, as practices with CPWA professionals have shown over the last 12 months to earn 43 percent more than non-CPWA practices. CPWA...

It is now more pertinent than ever for advisors to evolve their practices and their value propositions. In the current issue of Investments & Wealth Monitor, the Investments & Wealth Institute tackles challenges facing the industry by identifying disruptive trends and offering strategies to stay ahead of the curve. The issue begins with “ The Purposeful Advisory Firm,” from John Anderson, Raef Lee, and Bob Veres, which argues how and why advisors need to evolve by design, not by default....

Although technological gadgets have largely been targeted at Millennials, the aging have as much or more to gain from them as their grandchildren, according to John Diehl, senior vice president, strategic markets at Hartford Funds. According to Diehl, taking advantage of available and emerging technology can make a significant difference in a person’s life expectancy and the quality of life for individuals as they age. And, advisors who help their older clients feel at home with technology...

The trait that divides the wealthy from the simply rich is that the wealthy make choices, according to Paul Sullivan, Wealth Matters columnist for “They do not let life happen to them,” he said. The wealthy are those that have “stayed above the thin green line,” the line that shows the trajectory of the S&P 500, Sullivan explained [those below are those who have lost money; those above have done better than the market]. Paul Posluszny, linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars is an example...

People are driven to know the future. Among the abundant evidence for this is the “massive prediction industry, which is getting bigger all the time,” said Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics and co-host of Freakonomics radio at the Institute’s recent Investment Advisor Forum. But, predicting the future in general is hard, and making predictions about events and behavior having to do with money is especially difficult because of people’s complicated relationships with money. Further,...

Developed in collaboration with the Options Industry Council (OIC), an industry resource funded by OCC and U.S. options exchanges, the Institute’s newest online course, Fundamentals of Exchange-listed Options, is a convenient, online course designed to increase advisor knowledge and confidence with options. According to the study, How Financial Advisors Use and Think about Exchange-Listed Options, commissioned by the OIC, many advisors currently using options or not, have little confidence in...