What are the best ways to measure the profitability of your practice? A March 25 panel discussion at the NAPA 401(k) Summit offered some tips. One method is to look for a set net profit margin before... Read More
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Managing a Practice
BY John Iekel | 3/26/2014
Even a business model or industry that’s perfect won’t stay that way forever. But having the vision and courage to anticipate and create demand and go beyond just changing with the times can be... Read More
BY John Iekel | 3/24/2014
“You’re a consultant. Don’t let yourself be commoditized.” That’s what Ellen R. Lander of Renaissance Benefit Advisors would tell someone just starting out as an advisor. Speaking at a March 24... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 3/6/2014
By Joshua DietchI speak with a lot of advisors, most of whom, I believe, are good at what they do. I look at their credentials and I am generally impressed. I look at their books of business and I... Read More
BY John Iekel | 1/9/2014
Concern over plan fees is nothing new. The DOL has generated heated and seemingly perpetual discussion of the disclosure of fees, but the courts have brought to light another important perspective on... Read More
BY John Iekel | 1/3/2014
Defined contribution plans are a centerpiece of the U.S. retirement system. But good design and laws such as the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that bolster those plans are not enough, argues a... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/30/2013
Most lists of New Year’s resolutions are superficial and dwell on the negative, like losing weight or joining a gym. We found an anonymous list we thought was interesting and unique:I will let go of... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/9/2013
According to an article in InvestmentNews, Morgan Stanley has joined fellow wire houses UBS and Merrill Lynch in revising compensation to spur lower performing, experienced advisors to increase... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 11/20/2013
There’s a myth among providers that plan advisors are making a lot of money (especially among those providers who want to become advisors). But the truth is that only a few are doing really well. How... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 11/5/2013
Hiring the wrong person can be time consuming and costly, and can hurt morale too. So what are the signs that you may be about to make a mistake?• Candidates don’t know much about your company when... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/25/2013
As reported in Investment News, the days of large recruiting bonuses paid by wire houses may be over, as Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch have reported a slowdown in giving big recruiting bonuses.... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/24/2013
Speaking at the annual Financial Planning Association conference in Orlando this week, FPA president Michael Branham questioned recent actions by the CFP Board on the definition of fee-only advisor... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/24/2013
While there are no proposals to ban commissions in the U.S., under the DOL’s proposed redefinition of fiduciary rule it will be harder for commissioned advisors to work on ERISA plans and IRAs. Other... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/23/2013
An industry expert speaking at the Financial Planning Association’s annual conference offered six reasons why an advisor should enter the DC market: • Workers in retirement plans need advisors.•... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/16/2013
In a FINRA report released this week, the SRO warned members about potentially abusive sales practices and lack of oversight, with an emphasis on broker compensation. The report, the product of a... Read More
BY John Ortman | 10/16/2013
Among retirement plan advisors who serve the small-plan market, what are the best practices of successful advisors? Principal’s Tom Donnelly offers three:1. Keep your prospect pipeline full. Follow... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/11/2013
Have you ever forgotten a password at the precisely the wrong time — like when you need to access a website or make a crucial payment? Do you still use “1111” as your password or rely on ones stored... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/11/2013
More and more advisors who focus a significant percentage of their time on DC plans are joining teams to leverage scale, technology and brand. But what does a team have to do to be successful? In an... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/1/2013
With an estimated 10,000 RIA firms and only 50 reported M... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/30/2013
Fallout over the way CFPs report their compensation on the CFP website continues, as two wire houses instructed their advisors not to use fee only. Both Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch ordered... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/26/2013
There’s a huge controversy brewing in the world of fee-only planners, in the wake of the CFP Board’s decision to reset compensation models for all planners on their website to “none provided.” An... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/26/2013
An estimated 130 online financial advisory services have launched since the Great Recession — many in the last two years — but these firms are struggling to gain traction and achieve profitability.... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/25/2013
Commenting on what he calls the biggest inside joke that almost everyone has caught on to, advisor Alex Murguia officially pronounced the death of automatic “out-of-office” email responses. Here’s... Read More
BY John Ortman | 9/23/2013
The Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as "Obamacare") includes an employee notice requirement with an Oct. 1 deadline, a recent ASPPA ASAP notes. According to Lawrence C. Starr, CPC, QPFC, who... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/23/2013
As previously reported on NAPA Net, FINRA approved a proposal requiring brokers to disclose recruitment compensation paid to them as an incentive to move to a new firm. The proposal will be submitted... Read More
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