Category: RIA Best Practices
27 posts categorized as "RIA Best Practices"
Are You Serious, Wall Street? A Response to the #MeToo ‘Advice’ of Men
December 5, 2018

This open letter is a response to a Bloomberg Article InvestmentNews ran Tuesday about some male Wall Street executives whose concerns about #MeToo accusations have led them to limit the ways in which they work with female colleagues, for example by refusing to have dinner with a woman or sit next to a woman on a plane…
Should Breakaway Advisors Leverage a Wrap-Fee Program?
December 4, 2018

As breakaway advisors consider their move from a wirehouse to their own RIA, the question of whether to provide a wrap fee program will undoubtedly arise. Before we get into the weeds, what is a wrap-fee program and what are its implications? According to the SEC, a wrap fee generally involves an investment account in…
PFI Advisors White Paper-Exploring the Benefits of Professional Management for RIAs: A Deeper Look into Chief Operating Officers
October 29, 2018

PFI Advisors (“Pure Financial Independence”) announced today the release of a new industry report (the sixth in its continuing educational series) on an often overlooked topic facing independent RIAs: how to leverage professional management – namely, a Chief Operating Officer – to manage the day-to-day business responsibilities. Our research details the importance of COOs to…
Five Questions to Ask About Your Technology Infrastructure
October 12, 2018

RIAs regularly review their clients’ financial goals and portfolios. They should also service themselves with the same care and consistency with an internal review of their technology infrastructure and back office. This analysis should cover the following core systems: custodian interface, performance reporting/portfolio accounting, CRM, financial planning, trading and rebalancing, and client portal. As part…
The Age-Old Debate: Profit vs. Growth – What’s More Valuable?
September 25, 2018

At the Echelon Deal and Deal Makers conference in Newport Beach earlier this month, several sessions tackled the big question: If I’m looking to sell my firm, what is more important to a buyer – my growth rate, or my bottom line profits? From a deal makers’ perspective, I think the answer is probably both….
Dual-Contract SMAs vs. Single-Contract SMAs – Which is Best for You and Your Clients?
September 14, 2018

The most common question we receive from breakaway advisors is, “If I start an RIA, how do I recreate the products and services I’ve always had available to me during my career in the wirehouse?” This line of thinking often leads to questions around Lending and Alternative Investments, and inevitably lands at Separately Managed Accounts….
Ops Team to the Rescue! Reducing Advisor Stress During a Breakaway Transition
September 5, 2018

A wirehouse team amidst a breakaway transition requires a fast learning curve in a short period of time during which the entire advisory team-turned-RIA needs to run full speed ahead. This period of conversion is defined by a lot of pressure and a lot of moving parts. Here at PFI Advisors, we constantly look for…