Expenses
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Investment Costs, Part 2: Custodian/Brokerage Costs
Created: September 27, 2021
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Expenses, General Audience, Investment Costs, Prospect-Focused, Report
Description: Part 2 of a 2-part series covering investment costs. Part 1 focuses on fund management fees. Part 2 looks at custodian/brokerage (trading) costs, as well as how a fiduciary, fee-only advisor can help families identify and reduce excessive costs.
Investment Costs, Part 1: Fund Management Fees
Created: September 27, 2021
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Expenses, General Audience, Investment Costs, Prospect-Focused, Report
Description: Part 1 of a 2-part series covering investment costs. Part 1 focuses on fund management fees. Part 2 looks at custodian/brokerage (trading) costs, as well as how a fiduciary, fee-only advisor can help families identify and reduce excessive costs.
16 Things You Can Do To Prepare for the Next Recession
Created: October 18, 2019
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Expenses, Family Wealth, Financial Planning, General Audience, Listicle, Retirement Planning, Scary Market Insights, Wealth Management
Description: 16 things investors can do to truly strengthen their financial well-being, instead of engaging in market-timing in reaction to a potential recession. Share this 783-word overview with clients and prospects.
An Homage to John “Jack” Bogle
Created: January 17, 2019
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Breaking News, Client-Focused, Expenses, General Letter/E-Mail
Description: Use this 340-word note to reach out to clients to celebrate Jack Bogle's life and remind them that you're here to help them pursue their own best pursuits in similar fashion.
Canadian Tax-Loss Harvesting: Opportunities and Obstacles
Created: December 20, 2016
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Client-Focused, Expenses, Tax Planning
Description: Modified for Canadian use, this 800-word handout can be used to inform clients about what tax-loss harvesting is, how it can be used (as well as when it may not be appropriate), and how it serves as another way you, as their adviser, seek to add value to their investing. With minor edits, it could also be used as a piece to share with prospective clients. (We published U.S. and Anglicised versions of this piece in October 2017).
Tax-Loss Harvesting: Opportunities and Obstacles
Created: October 24, 2016
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Client-Focused, Expenses, Tax Planning
Description: This 800-word handout can be used to inform clients about what tax-loss harvesting is, how it can be used (as well as when it may not be appropriate), and how it serves as another way you, as their adviser, seek to add value to their investing. With minor edits, it could also be used as a piece to share with prospective clients.
Quarterly Client Letter – 2016 Q3
Created: October 4, 2016
Categories: Breaking News, Client-Focused, Evidence-Based Investing, Expenses, Quarterly Client Letter
Description: This 480-word, third quarter client letter reflects on a relatively quiet summer, celebrates some recent market milestones and reminds clients that, despite continued domestic and global uncertainties, the best approach is the long-term, evidence-based strategy.
Structured CDs — Buyer Beware!
Created: September 26, 2016
Categories: Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Expenses, Fixed Income, General Audience
Description: This 650-word article describes how structured or market-based CDs aren't the same as traditional Certificates of Deposit, drawing from a recent Wall Street Journal critique of their costs and conflicts of interest. Share with clients or prospects who may be tempted by the "low risk, higher return" promises without considering the complexities involved.
On Investing and Entertainment: John Oliver’s Take
Created: June 21, 2016
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Client Experience, Client-Focused, Expenses, General Letter/E-Mail, Retirement Planning
Description: This 435-word client letter can be used to share John Oliver's recent "Last Week Tonight" popular HBO segment on retirement investing. It summarizes Oliver's key messages and encourages your clients to share the video with others who may find the message appealing -- along with a referral to your firm.
Three Key Investment Strategies Hidden in Plain Sight: #3 — INTERNATIONAL VERSION — Controlling Costs
Created: September 25, 2015
Categories: Article, Client Experience, Evidence-Based Investing, Expenses, General Audience, Three Key Strategies
Description: This 1,375-word piece represents part three of a series covering three essential evidence-based investment strategies: market participation ("being there"), managing market risk (diversification) and controlling costs. THIS UPDATED VERSION EXPLORES CONTROLLING COSTS WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE AND ILLUSTRATIONS. It also emphasizes the benefits of having an evidence-based advisor to assist. Use the series for drip marketing via e-newsletter, e-mails, mailings or as video script for prospective or existing clients.
Three Key Investment Strategies Hidden in Plain Sight: #3 — Controlling Costs
Created: September 4, 2015
Categories: Article, Client Experience, Evidence-Based Investing, Expenses, General Audience, Three Key Strategies
Description: This 900-word piece represents part three of a series covering three essential evidence-based investment strategies: market participation ("being there"), managing market risk (diversification) and controlling costs. It also emphasizes the benefits of having an evidence-based advisor to assist. Use the series for drip marketing via e-newsletter, e-mails, mailings or as video script for prospective or existing clients.
Timeless Tips on Tax-Wise Investing: Part II
Created: May 17, 2015
Categories: Article, Expenses, General Audience, Tax Planning
Description: This 700-word piece represents part two of a two-part series on tax-wise investing, covering year-round, tax-efficient habits investors can adopt for themselves, their tax-managed funds, their portfolio construction (asset location) and their financial team -- overseen by their tax-savvy wealth manager. Use the series to inform clients or prospects about the principles of tax-wise investing and the critical role you play as their tax-wise adviser.
Timeless Tips on Tax-Wise Investing: Part I
Created: May 10, 2015
Categories: Article, Expenses, General Audience, Tax Planning
Description: This 965-word piece represents part one of a two-part series on tax-wise investing, covering year-round, tax-efficient habits investors can adopt for themselves, their tax-managed funds, their portfolio construction (asset location) and their financial team -- overseen by their tax-savvy wealth manager. Use the series to inform clients or prospects about the principles of tax-wise investing and the critical role you play as their tax-wise adviser.
Combating Hidden Trading Costs: Here Be Dragons
Created: February 26, 2014
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Expenses, General Audience, Report
Description: This 1,300-word article serves well as a stand-alone piece or to accompany our broader article, Cost Control: An Investor's Greatest Investment. The broader article provides an overview of various investment costs; this piece explores hidden costs in more detail: bid-ask spreads, market-moving costs and costs of moving to cash. It concludes with a reminder of the value your firm brings in identifying fund managers who effectively manage hidden costs. Use this piece as a brochure or article to introduce your investment strategy to prospective clients or to review key benefits with existing clients.
Cost Control: An Investor’s Greatest Investment
Created: January 19, 2014
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Expenses, General Audience, Report
Description: This 1,200-word article provides (1) an overview of transparent as well as hidden costs of investing and the impact they have on net returns, (2) strategies for minimizing those costs, and (3) the role an experienced, objective advisor plays in cost-effective fund selection, tax-management and investor discipline. The article concludes with a call to action, inviting readers to contact your firm for a complimentary analysis of their existing portfolio. Use this piece as a brochure or article to introduce your investment strategy to prospective clients or to review key benefits with existing clients. For a deeper review of hidden costs, consider also ordering "Combating Hidden Trading Costs: Here Be Dragons."
Assessing Advisory Fees
Created: June 5, 2013
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Expenses, General Audience
Description: Remind clients of the ways you earn your advisory fees, including: (1) Tangible Savings such as helping them stay the course, ensuring low-cost investing and ongoing tax management, (2) Subtle Rewards such as education, account management, wealth coordination and access to Dimensional funds, and (3) Immense Immeasurables, such as freeing their time to pursue their personal interests and ensuring smooth transitions when family money management roles shift.