The Looming Test for “Adviser Alpha”

The Looming Test for “Adviser Alpha”

A not-so-funny thing happened over the holidays. I was kicking around the Street, trying to understand the many ways financial advisers can deliver exceptional value to their clients. What I uncovered was a cautionary tale about the next bear market. Why this one,...

read more
A No Man’s Land of Wealth Management

A No Man’s Land of Wealth Management

"I've saved my clients millions in estate taxes," the financial adviser said. Over a few rounds of Christmas cheer, we were discussing the many ways traditional advisers help their clients. For the most part, we focused on estate planning (similar to that provided by...

read more
Have a Story about Money?

Have a Story about Money?

Do you have a story about personal finance you’d like to share, perhaps a cautionary tale that will help others? I’d like to hear about financial predators, family businesses, aging parents, wealth advisers, or great ways to teach kids about money…

read more
What Are Financial Advisers Worth?

What Are Financial Advisers Worth?

"I've been working with some families over 20 years. And they don't benchmark me against an index." That's what a star adviser, with nearly $1 billion under management, told me a few weeks ago. He was busting my chops, encouraging me to write about the many ways...

read more
Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day

This photo is of my dad, taken around 1958. He was a pilot during WWII (B-24), the Korean War, and Vietnam (C-141). Many thanks to everyone who has served in the United States Armed Forces.

read more
Should You Tell Clients About That Bonus?

Should You Tell Clients About That Bonus?

“What have I done?” That question haunted me after I moved from my old shop, a wirehouse, to the greener pastures of a new, fee-only advisory firm. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and handicap which clients would follow my team. The battle for assets was a war,...

read more

Narragansett, RI Super Heroes

During July I blogged about the low-life maggots, who desecrated the beach at the end of my street in Narragansett, RI. They tagged the rock formations with graffiti. And yeah, I guess you could say I was ticked. You can find my original post by clicking here, Google...

read more
A Death-Rattle for ‘Two-and-20’ in Private Investing

A Death-Rattle for ‘Two-and-20’ in Private Investing

IPO allocations are the pits if you are a financial adviser. You indicate a 50,000-share interest in the new offering. Then, on the day trading begins, you may get 100 shares and an ‘attaboy' to spread around your clients. Painful. Because of experiences like that, I...

read more
Norb Vonnegut

Norb Vonnegut

The New York Times describes my novels as “money porn,” “a red-hot franchise,” and “glittery thrillers about fiscal malfeasance.” Through fiction I explore the dark side of money and the motivations of those who have it, want more, and will steamroll anybody who gets in their way.

8 + 8 =