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...

Before the Con Man Comes Knocking

If wealth advisers are so committed to “preservation of capital,” why don’t we spend more time protecting our clients from financial predators and teaching them security techniques? Hackers, identity thieves and con men threaten portfolios every bit...

The Art of Badmouthing the Competition

The big banks' wealth management units had a terrific year in 2013. Money in fee accounts ballooned as the S&P 500 rose nearly 30%. Profits ballooned, too. It was all over the news this month as earnings reports came out, and that transparency is a good thing....

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Being Partners

Last week I took a cue from Clint Eastwood and talked shop with an empty chair. Here's how that conversation went. (And yes, as with the Pale Rider, you only get to hear my side). — It's January. Time for us to sit down and discuss our partnership. No, I...

Five Years After Bernie

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Bernie Madoff on Dec. 11, 2008. His guilty plea and 150-year prison sentence were almost non-events, at least compared with the finger-pointing, lawsuits and trials that have ensued. They turned the Ponzi scheme into a gift...