When It’s Time to Discuss Charity
The phone rings. Your hard-charging client says, "I sit on the board of trustees of a charity that..." What follows sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher. "Whaa-whaa-whaa." Here we go. He or she is a) moving money out, thereby cutting your fees or b) asking your firm to...
Congratulations, Kate White
Not too long ago, I spoke at a library event with my friend, Kate White. She tells great stories, which is why I'm excited to read her new novel, Eyes on You (released yesterday). Congratulations, Kate. This photo is from Kate's book party last night.
Bitcoin’s Place in Wealth Management
Every financial adviser knows this story in one form or another. It is Friday afternoon, 10 minutes to the market close. Your biggest client calls with a problem. "My daughter lost her wallet. She's traveling in India. She has no cash, no credit card, no bank account,...
Back from the Beauty Parlor
Here's Lucy. What do you think?
Prologue, Part II
Hi, All. Last month, I posted Part I of the Prologue to my novel in progress. Here's Part II: Pell College had been transforming doe-eyed girls into proud, confident women ever since 1823. “Longer than Smith, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke,” its rah-rah alumnae were...
How Not to Be a Rookie
A friend of mine recently passed the Series 7, completed his brokerage firm's training program, and became a full-fledged investment rep. Through a combination of hard work and good, old-fashioned luck, he immediately stumbled across a massive wealth-management...
Financial Advice’s Digital Disruption
Here's my thesis: Just as Amazon turned publishing upside down, an online competitor will do the same thing to financial advisers. To explore that, I visited several wealth management websites. Robo-advisers charge from zero to 50 basis points, depending on assets...
PROLOGUE
October 1986 The .38 grinds into his skull. He smells three-in-one oil and stale cordite. It is a sweet, metallic odor. The hammer cocks. Driver’s heart is pounding. He doesn’t flinch. His white utility van continues straight and steady across the causeway. Click....
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.