• Why Financial Advisors Should Focus On Serving The Unique Needs Of Childfree Clients
    Jun 10 2024

    Dr. Jay Zigmont, Founder and CEO of Childfree Wealth joins Mike Langford for a fascination conversation about the intricacies of providing comprehensive financial advice to childfree clients. They discuss the significant population of adults who do not have children and the unique needs that are not being met by traditional financial planning methods. They also explore the reasons why people choose to be childfree and the challenges faced by financial advisors in serving this niche. The conversation covers topics such as dying with zero, long-term care planning, estate planning, retirement, and the importance of understanding the goals and desires of childfree clients.

    Sponsored By:

    PodBox - Help your guest sound their best on your podcast, webinar, or important Zoom call with a PodBox microphone setup.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Jay Zigmont's Book - "The Childfree Guide to LIfe and Money"
    • The Fixed-Index Annuity with a Health-Activated Income Multiplier - This the annuity Jay mentioned during the show.
    • Long Term Care for Childfree Individuals - An article Jay wrote on the topic.
    • Fidelity Investments (FCAT) study on soloists - "A Family of One: The Ascendance of Solo Households"
    • Jay's guest article on Michael Kitces' blog - "Why Childfree People Require A Unique Financial Planning Process"
    • Rajini Kodialam - Mike mentioned how Rajini urged financial advisors to stop calling women a segment. "Any group that makes up over half of the population cannot be a segment."

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Child-Free Financial Advice

    03:45 The Size and Significance of the Child-Free Population

    08:07 Understanding the Choice to Be Child-Free

    13:25 Dying with Zero: A Different Approach to Financial Planning

    15:23 The Life of Child Wealth: Redefining Retirement

    27:43 Addressing the Unique Needs of Child-Free Individuals

    36:44 Creating Communities and Support Networks

    46:25 Challenges and Biases Faced by Child-Free Individuals

    53:48 Opportunities for Financial Advisors in the Child-Free Market

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    56 mins
  • Exploring The End-To-End Digital Transformation Of Wealth Management
    Jun 4 2024

    Gauthier Vincent (GV), Senior Consulting Partner at Deloitte joins Mike Langford for an exploration of the digital transformation taking place in the wealth management industry. The conversation explores the impact of AI on wealth management, covering topics such as personalizing client experiences, efficiency, data infrastructure, compliance, and the modernization of core wealth platforms. It also delves into the challenges and considerations for wealth management firms in adopting AI and modernizing their tech stack.

    Sponsored By:

    PodBox - Help your guest sound as good at GV with a PodBox microphone setup.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Deloitte Report - "The Digital Wealth Manager Of Today"
    • SkyView 1 - A fiduciary first banking solution for your financial advisory clients.
    • Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze) - The comprehensive client engagement platform for wealth management firms

    Chapters

    00:00 The Digital Transformation in Wealth Management

    11:49 The Urgency for Modernization and Impact of AI

    27:17 The Impact of AI on Wealth Management

    41:24 Challenges and Considerations in Adopting AI for Wealth Management Firms

    49:52 Modernizing the Tech Stack in Wealth Management


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    53 mins
  • How To Improve Your Financial Advisory Business One Week At A Time
    May 24 2024

    Brian Margolis from Productivity Giant joins Mike Langford to discuss the importance of a simple weekly strategy for financial advisors to improve their productivity and achieve their goals. Brian emphasizes the need to focus on the right things and prioritize activities that provide the biggest return on investment.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Brian's previous episode of the Modern Financial Advisor Podcast way back in 2019.
    • Brian's Book - "The Index Card Business Plan For Sales Pros and Entrepreneurs"

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    04:24 The Importance of a Simple Weekly Strategy

    09:07 Focusing on the Right Things for Maximum ROI

    28:57 Common Pain Points and Symptoms

    31:20 Differentiating Between Being Good and Being Successful

    39:05 Success Stories and Implementing the Simple Weekly Strategy

    45:10 Conclusion

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    45 mins
  • How Financial Advisors Can Use Proxy Voting As A Service To Level Up
    May 17 2024

    Simon Zais, a senior manager at Egan-Jones Proxy Services, joins Mike Langford on the Modern Financial Advisor Podcast to discuss the importance of "proxy voting as a service" for financial advisors. They explore how proxy voting can help advisors deliver a higher level of service to their clients and align their portfolios with their clients' values and goals.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • MFA Episode featuring Pete Krull of Earthy Equity Advisors
    • Engine No. 1 vs Exxon - Simon mentioned this case as an example of proxy voting driving change at a company.
    • Simon's article titled "Hearts, Minds, and Votes: Where Smarter Wealth Managers Win"

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction: Proxy Voting as a Service

    06:03 Aligning Portfolios with Values and Goals

    10:22 Proxy Voting and Making an Impact

    23:04 The Growing Influence of Retail Votes

    23:34 The Growing Influence of Retail Investors in Proxy Voting

    26:01 Aligning Proxy Voting with Client Values and Goals

    28:18 The Importance of Meaningful Conversations with Clients

    31:38 Taking Action on Proxy Voting to Deepen Client Relationships

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    47 mins
  • What Exactly Is Sustainable Investing? And Why Are Today's Clients Demanding It?
    May 10 2024

    In this episode of the Modern Financial Advisor podcast, Mike Langford interviews Pete Krull, CEO of Earth Equity Advisors, about sustainable investing. They discuss the importance of sustainable investing for financial advisors and their clients, debunk common myths about sustainable investing, and explore the growth opportunities in the field.

    Pete and Mike also touch on the role of ESG metrics, the future of the insurance industry in the face of climate change, and the increasing demand for sustainable investing among different generations.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Earth Equity Advisors
    • Pete Krull on LinkedIn
    • Cross Country Race in EV Pickup Trucks - Out of Spec YouTube and Out of Spec Podcast
    • Green Sage Sustainability Portfolio
    • Morgan Stanley Sustainable Signals Report
    • Dollars and Change Podcast and YouTube Channel
    • Book - Cradle to Cradle
    • DEI Episode of The Modern Financial Advisor Podcast with Laura Gregg

    Chapters

    00:00 The Role of Sustainable Investing for Financial Advisors

    03:47 Debunking Myths About Sustainable Investing

    12:23 The Future of the Insurance Industry in the Face of Climate Change

    25:01 The Increasing Demand for Sustainable Investing Among Different Generations

    29:16 Engaging with Clients and Prospects on Sustainable Investing

    30:10 Meeting the Needs of Next Gen Investors

    32:07 The Growth of Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure

    35:19 The Role of Real Estate in Sustainable Investing

    43:30 Considering Climate Readiness in Retirement Planning

    51:18 Connecting with Influencers in Sustainable Investing

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    1 hr
  • Why Financial Advisors Should Provide Simple Financial Health Metrics To Their Clients
    May 1 2024

    Reese Harper, CEO of Elements, joins Mike Langford to discuss how financial advisors can use vital signs to improve client conversations and increase their comfort level around financial advice.

    Reese explains that vital signs are objective scores that measure various aspects of a client's financial health, such as liquidity, debt-to-income ratio, and savings rate. By using vital signs, advisors can provide personalized advice and help clients make informed decisions about their finances.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Elementality Podcast - With Reese Harper and Carl Richards
    • Dentist Advisors - This is Reese's RIA which influenced his founding of Elements

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    02:56 The Concept of Vital Signs

    10:05 Improving Financial Behaviors with Vital Signs

    28:31 Using Vital Signs in a Niche Market

    35:23 The Birth of Elements and the Importance of Vital Signs

    41:06 Accelerating Client Onboarding with Elements

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    46 mins
  • How Advisors Can Tap the Hidden Growth Potential in Their Clients’ Communities
    Mar 27 2024

    What if you could expand your client roster by 300% without having to spend a fortune on marketing? This week's guest Beatriz Acevedo and her team at SUMA Wealth discovered a hidden growth gem by serving the Latinx community.

    It turns out, people in the community tend to bring other clients with them. And as you'll hear Beatriz discuss with Mike Langford, this growth concept is present in many communities.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • How I Built This - Beatriz was a guest on HIBT Lab! with Guy Raz in which she shared more about her journey that led her to starting SUMA Wealth.
    • Is Your Credit Guacaready? - This is a great example of the culturally relevant marketing that the SUMA Wealth team is using to build a community of over a million people.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    03:23 Summa Wealth's Community-First Approach

    06:09 The Aha Moment for Summa Wealth

    10:18 Understanding the Target Audience

    13:40 Learning from Mistakes and Adjusting

    22:01 Adapting to Changing Consumer Behavior

    25:22 Learning from Younger Generations

    26:10 The Value of Different Perspectives

    27:06 The Importance of Embracing Change and Learning from Younger Generations

    29:03 Transition from TV Producer to FinTech Founder

    31:16 Recognizing the Lack of Financial Education in Latino Communities

    33:01 The Role of Culture and Community in Fintech

    36:00 The Power of Life Experience in Decision-Making

    37:26 The Opportunity of Connecting with Younger Generations

    43:25 Attracting Non-Latinx Users to Summa Wealth

    48:39 Future Plans for Summa Wealth

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    52 mins
  • Cracking The Code On Organic Growth For Financial Advisors
    Mar 1 2024

    The lack of robust organic growth for financial advisors' businesses has been a key concern for industry leaders for years. On this episode of the podcast Tom Rieman, CEO and Founding Partner of PracticeI ntel shares what he believes is the key to cracking the code on organic growth for financial advisors.

    Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

    • Bridging The Gap Podcast - Tom joined Matt Reiner on this podcast recently and we hit on one of the points from that episode to tip off our conversation.
    • Data from PriceMetrix by McKinsey - Mike mentioned the study and an MFA Podcast episode with Kieran Bol.
    • The Augmented Advisor Podcast - James Lee, the former President of the FPA discussed his conviction that "Financial Planner" is the 4th Great Profession.
    • Fidelity Investments 2023 RIA Benchmarking Study
    • SkyView Partners - Their focus on organic growth as a key driver for business valuation.
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    53 mins