Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” – this week’s edition kicks off with Charles Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger’s comments at this week’s virtual Schwab IMPACT conference that direct indexing is a ‘freight train’ that is coming for the mutual fund and ETF industry and that advisors can survive and thrive by offering increasing personalization to their clients… just as Schwab has indicated that it is working on its own “Personalized [Direct] Indexing” solution, and signaling that it is hoping and expecting RIAs using its platform to use Schwab’s new Personalized Indexing solution with their own clients (in lieu of ‘traditional’ ETFs and mutual funds?) in the years to come. Which given Schwab’s sheer size and reach, could further amplify the adoption of direct indexing and its likelihood of success in the first place?
Also in the industry news this week:
- A new RIA industry event, Future Proof, is attempting to upend the traditional conference with beachfront stages and a more festival-like atmosphere.
- Reports this week suggested that the size of President Biden’s proposed infrastructure legislation could be shrinking, and with it potentially some of the proposed tax increases intended to pay for it (putting financial advisors on their toes about which planning opportunities will remain on the table, or not, in the final version).
From there, we have several articles on the first Bitcoin Futures ETF that debuted this week, including:
- How the new Bitcoin Futures ETF makes it easier for advisors to get Bitcoin exposure in client portfolios.
- Why some advisors are skeptical of the purported benefits of the futures-based Bitcoin ETF.
- A warning that the structure of the Bitcoin Futures ETF could make it susceptible to destabilizing volatility.
We also have a number of articles on budgeting and cash flow strategies:
- How financial advisors can provide value to clients considering changing jobs during the ‘Great Resignation’.
- Why getting a raise can have dramatically positive compounding effects on an individual’s lifetime financial situation.
- Why people judge other’s budgets, and how advisors can facilitate communication regarding budgeting priorities.
We wrap up with three final articles, all around the theme of managing productivity and stress in the new virtual/hybrid work environment:
- The tactics companies are using to try to manage employee burnout in a semi-virtual world.
- Why companies might need to redefine how they measure productivity in a hybrid office environment.
- How individuals can use mindfulness to recognize the difference between being (dangerously) overwhelmed and ‘just’ being challenged in a more healthy way.
Enjoy the ‘light reading!
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