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Marketing

How Financial Advisors Can Leverage Client Testimonials in Their Marketing Strategy

Client testimonials can be a powerful marketing tool for advisors, but they remain underutilized. A 2025 survey of 500 investors conducted by Wealthtender found that 83% of prospective clients want to read reviews of an advisor before contacting them.1 Leveraging financial advisor testimonials could help level up your marketing efforts and establish trust before you… read more…

Marketing

Digital Marketing for Financial Services: Strategies and ROI

Digital marketing for financial services extends beyond investment advisors. Tax preparers, insurance agents and financial planners are among the professionals who can benefit from a unified marketing plan. Much of the advice shared online centers on the same set of tactics, but financial professionals who find fresh angles in the digital space may be better… read more…

The clock ticks the same for everyone on paper, but how you draw down the account decides whether it costs you thousands or six figures.
Roth & Traditional IRAs

I Inherited a $500k IRA. The 10-Year Clock the IRS Started Could Cost Me Six Figures

Inheriting $500,000 in an IRA can seem like a life-changing windfall. But not knowing one important IRS rule could cost you thousands of dollars. The timing and size of your withdrawals can have a major impact on how much inheritance you ultimately keep. Fortunately, you have options to avoid an expensive mistake. A financial advisor… read more…

Before deciding how to invest a $1 million inheritance, take inventory of what you've received.
Inheritance

What to Do With a $1 Million Inheritance

A $1 million inheritance can immediately raise one big question: How should you invest it? But before choosing funds, stocks or other investments, there are important decisions that can shape how much of that inheritance you actually keep. Those first choices often have less to do with investing and more to do with taxes, timing… read more…

Editor's Picks

A couple determining whether they need a CFA vs. CFP®.
Certifications & Licenses

CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?

Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…

Clients meeting with an advisor from a wealth management firm.
Brokerage

6 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm

Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…

A fee-only financial planner doesn't earn commissions for recommending certain products.
Advisor Fees & Costs

What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?

If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…

Investment Property
Real Estate Investing

Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties

If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…

Data Articles and Studies

Cost of Living & Taxes

Where the Down Payment Burden Has Grown Most

Saving for a home down payment has become a moving target. As rising home prices outstrip wage growth, the amount of time buyers may need to set aside enough money has changed sharply in many parts of the country. In some states, rising incomes have helped offset higher home values. In others, buyers may face… read more…

Two puppies travel in a car, peeking out the window with the U.S. flag.
Travel, Education & More

The Fourth of July Gas Price Burden

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, millions of Americans are preparing to hit the road. Gas prices have fallen across the U.S. since reaching an annual peak on May 21, offering some relief before one of the year’s busiest driving periods. But both the extent of the price decline and the financial burden of… read more…

Data Studies

When it Pays to Work in Florida — and When It Doesn’t

Florida’s economy has a pull of its own, from tourism and health care to construction and finance. But does working in the Sunshine State pay more? After adjusting for regional price differences, occupational pay gaps can look different than headline salaries suggest. For some workers, Florida offers a meaningful pay advantage; for others, the same… read more…

Hand holding Social Security cards over American dollars.
Demographics & Migration

Where Social Security Cuts Could Have the Greatest Economic Impact

Social Security is a major source of retirement income for millions of Americans, but its economic importance varies sharply by locality. In some communities, benefits represent a relatively small share of total income. In others, they account for a substantial portion of money flowing into the local economy. That reliance may become more consequential as… read more…

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