Fiduciary Links: Announcing the fi360 Article Competition, and the Fiduciary Survey
Posted by on March 04, 2013
>>> Each year, we hold an article competition to give our more than 6,000 AIF and AIFA Designees an opportunity to showcase their position as thought leaders on the fiduciary issues facing investment advisors and financial service providers today. Designees submit their original articles that help fiduciaries better understand and perform their roles and fi360 publishes the articles on our website. In addition, the winning author receives a $1,000 prize and has his or her article published by our competition’s media partner, AdvisorOne.
The articles can be on a wide range of topics, from the very broad and universally applicable, to very niche areas of practice. The past winning articles have addressed using actuarial methods of implementing fiduciary best practices to improve participant outcomes, the fiduciary benefit of multiple employer plans, evaluating whether it makes sense to do a Roth IRA conversion, and the fiduciary implications of managing structured settlements.
To learn more about our article competition, view the more than 50 entries we’ve received from the previous four contests. For instructions on how to submit your article, visit the Article Competition home on our website. We’ll be posting all accepted entries as they come in. The winning article will be announced at the 2013 fi360 Conference in April and published by AdvisorOne later this year.
>>>If you haven’t done so already, make sure you take a few minutes to complete the fi360-AdvisorOne Fiduciary Survey. This is our third year conducting the survey of investment advisors to measure attitudes and understanding regarding the fiduciary standard and how those feelings are evolving over time. The more responses we receive, the more useful the results. Additional details can be found on our website.
News and columns from the leading trade, consumer, and mainstream media:
- Few advisors spend time on investment training and analysis, but they are ways to help you achieve long-term success. Building a practice that has responsible outsourcing, and understanding your firm’s positioning are just two of the ways you can expand the other side of your practice.
- Dually registered advisors are in the SEC sights, due to the blurring lines between the advisory and broker-dealer businesses. Examinations are likely in the next 14 months.
- Telecommuting not too popular with advisers, as collaboration between staff members, and camaraderie are much more difficult.
- The universal benchmark for success is changing, and according to a recent survey, 79% of advisers say they use client’s personal goals as measures of investment success – a major shift in thinking.
- The SEC issued a request for public feedback on the benefits, and costs, of current standards of conduct for BDs and advisors.
- One question that experts discussed at the 2013 NAPA/ASPPA 401(k) summit was, “Have 401(k)s failed participants?” The panel, led by Graff of American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries, expressed viewpoints that included the problem of small businesses, and areas of needed improvements.
- Though investors prioritize retirement, 58% of Americans don’t have a formal retirement income and savings plan.
- Being a successful advisor is about convincing people to act on your advice, and trust in your ability. Here are nine ways to help close the deal.
- A slow and steady social media approach is best, and the preferred choice may be to go where you clients are. Learning as much as you can about each platform before getting started is also key.
From the organizations/associations/government/academia:
- SEC seeks information to assess standards of conduct and other obligations of broker-dealers and investment advisers.
- SEC will hold a fixed income roundtable.
- Steven J. Randick named FINRA’s Chief Information Officer.
From the blogs:
- Fiduciary News trending topics.
- The AICPA and advisors in Vegas, a conference breakdown: it’s an annual cram session with challenging material and great opportunities.
What your clients are reading:
- By willingly suspending benefits, you can boost your Social Security payoff. However, you can’t collect a spousal benefit in the interim.
- Find out if an online advisor is right for you – as wealth management moves to the web, will your portfolio move with it?
- Explore your free income tax filing options – online.
- What to do with your tax refund in 2013 – great advice on how to plan for your financial future.
