Advisers Giving Back: Brad Arends at intellicents

2007 PLANSPONSOR Plan Adviser of the Year Chad Larsen remained independent until last September, when HUB International acquired his firm. He says the past 13 years have been ‘a great time to be in this business.’

Tailored financial advice is now more vital than ever for participants at all stages of the retirement savings journey, experts say.

Advisers need to understand that developing referral sources can take as long as five to seven years and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

The annualized return from 2000 to 2020 is 4.22% for stable value and 5.25% for stocks. One might expect the difference to be greater.

The concept of ‘vertical integration’ is historically association with heavy manufacturing industries such as steel production, but it is increasingly the goal in financial services M&A transactions.

Experts say the typical off-the-shelf target-date fund (TDF) isn’t as diversified as what could be created under a custom implementation.

Though retirement plans can allow individuals to self-certify that they qualify for a penalty-free coronavirus-related distribution, should the IRS discover otherwise during a future audit, a participant can be subject to substantial penalties.

Pandemic-driven volatility has once again highlighted the relative virtues of active and passive management.

Like any clients that have taken advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), advisory practices must be careful about the provisions the Small Business Administration has set forth to make any payments forgivable.

Each U.S. household in the bottom half of the wealth distribution has only $20,000 of net worth, on average, a figure that represents less than 0.1% of those at the very top. Helping more people to own homes and to invest even modestly in the stock market are seen as critical steps to closing that gap.

Some people are called to give back and invest in their local communities, while others are compelled to go farther afield.

Investing in the local community has been an important part of the firm’s identity from its founding in 1992, and it makes sure to involve its staff members’ spouses and families to make its giving even more meaningful.

As the firm’s founder, David Griffin, explains, retirement plan advisers have a particular skillset that can be very useful in coordinating giving efforts during these unprecedented times.

Many plans’ and individual investors’ exposure to energy stocks has dropped amid underwhelming results over the past five years, investment managers say.