Control. Control. You must learn control. – Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Approximately 57% of Americans are financially literate, typically measured by answering simple financial literacy questions correctly. The work of Anna Maria Lusardi and her colleagues have demonstrated the woeful state of the world related to financial knowledge and education in the United States and around the world. Often, this group of researchers measures financial literacy with a few …
The nature of relationships among financial professionals and their clients is changing, and one of the organizations committed to fiduciary financial planning is the XY Planning Network. We are proud to say that many of our clients are members of XYPN, and its mission is straightforward: XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who specialize in working with Gen X and Gen Y clients. Of course, many clients of XY planners are …
A hot topic in the financial advisory space—or maybe more accurately a sore subject—is the high rate of attrition of heirs when clients die and leave their managed wealth to beneficiaries. We have discussed this topic before, noting that a host of factors are at play including critical features like communication with the family-economic unit, relationship building, and personal differences resulting from a generational divide between the heirs and the advisor. But at the end …
What does it take to build wealth over time? I was fortunate to work with Dr. John Grable and Michelle Kruger from the University of Georgia’s financial planning performance lab on a research paper examining that topic, and the research was featured in the January edition of the Journal of Financial Service Professionals. The study used DataPoints’ proprietary list of financial tasks, which is based in part on the behaviors and habits documented in the 40+ …
Where do you fit? Where do your services fit in the world of financial planning, investment management, and wealth advisory services? Are you a planner, an advisor, or an investment manager? Or all of the foregoing? The landscape of financial advisory services is evolving, and finding a descriptive and accurate category for your service and role is becoming more challenging. We’re having the same challenge here at DataPoints. We’re forging something of a new …