Advisors

Natasha Alipour Faridani | DigitalVision | Getty Images The government’s release of data on businesses that have participated in the Paycheck Protection Program confirms what many in the financial advice industry already knew: Wealth management firms were among those to have taken the government loans. The data released by the Small Business Administration and Treasury
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shapecharge The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed how close so many Americans are to severe financial insecurity. Over these past four months, millions of American workers have experienced sudden and unexpected losses of their primary sources of income, either temporarily or, for many, permanently. While stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits have filled in some gaps,
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AleksandarNakic Our nation is facing unprecedented times, and financial advisors are facing upheaval when their clients need them the most. More than 40 million people have applied for unemployment benefits since early March, while the economic outlook remains grim. The Atlanta Federal Reserve projects that the nation’s gross domestic product during the second quarter will
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Carlina Teteris This summer, it may become more difficult for investors to determine whether a financial advisor indeed has their best interests at heart. Starting June 30, financial advisors who are affiliated with broker-dealers legally will be required to place clients’ interests first when they give financial advice. This rule, which was handed down by the
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Martin Seay, president of the Financial Planning Association and chair of the Personal Financial Planning Program at Kansas State University. Financial Planning Association The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses of all kinds to rethink how they work and interact with customers. Financial planning is no different.  Martin Seay, president of the Financial Planning Association, perhaps
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For the second time in 12 years, the U.S. economy and financial markets are facing an unexpected crisis of uncertain proportions. While the 2008 financial crisis and the current coronavirus pandemic are very different in character, both have produced extraordinary volatility in financial markets. Both downturns have also presented major challenges for financial advisors as they
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Xavier Bonghi In today’s environment, it’s just about unimaginable that someone would turn down a $40,000 forgivable loan. Benjamin Brandt, a certified financial planner and president of Capital City Wealth Management in Bismarck, North Dakota, did just that. He initially applied for the Paycheck Protection Program — a forgivable loan program that’s overseen by Treasury
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Phynart Studio Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, an astounding 53% of the American population felt anxious about personal finances. Undoubtedly, that percentage has grown significantly, with more than 26 million Americans becoming unemployed since then. The statistics are alarming, but it is not time to panic — it’s time to plan. Although many financial plans
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Adam Hester America is a resilient nation. Americans are optimistic, innovative, forward-looking and compassionate. And when a crisis occurs, America’s best qualities shine through and burn brightly. We are in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis that has caused a momentous disruption to our nation’s and the world’s economy as businesses have been ordered
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filadendron As small businesses sought emergency federal loans, financial advisors not only assisted clients, but also applied for aid to bolster their practices. The Paycheck Protection Program, the $349 billion small-business loan offering, ran out of money on April 16 after being open for close to two weeks. More than 1.6 million businesses were approved
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Brandon Colbert Photography As markets careen in response to a near-unprecedented public health crisis that’s brought the U.S. economy to it knees, financial advisors are often the first place worried investors are turning — perhaps after favorite news outlets — for advice, information and solace. While calming clients and working with them to shore up
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For anyone who became accustomed to watching their 401(k) account balance climb higher for years on end, the market’s recent drop and continued volatility may be unnerving if not downright scary. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t let fear cause you do something that could hurt your long-term retirement planning, advisors say.  “The coronavirus is certainly creating a
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There could be a tug of war brewing over which standard financial professionals should follow when they provide advice or sell products such as annuities to individual investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission is unveiling a new regulation, called Regulation Best Interest, which requires broker-dealers and professionals associated with them to keep their clients’ best
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