| Full name of company | Type of organization | If other, please describe | City | State | Year firm was founded | Please provide a detailed description of the product, service or initiative developed to enhance advisers' understanding of important concepts, issues or themes, or the understanding of such by clients. Please make it clear who the targeted audience is and why the material is needed. | Please describe the educational content that delivered the message. This can include white papers, original research, groundbreaking insight or other communications and offer key metrics that demonstrate its effectiveness as an educational tool for advisers or clients. | Please attach an example of the educational materials..Caption | Please provide a url to a website or video that may be reviewed by judges. | Computed Score |
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| Vanderbilt Financial Group | Other | Broker-dealer and RIA | Woodbury | New York | 1965 | As a thought leader in the impact space, Vanderbilt Financial Group is dedicated to increasing the reach and positive impact of the financial services industry using the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework. Our education platform, Impact U, provides students, financial advisors and investors with unique opportunities to increase their impact investing knowledge through videos, podcasts and fun interactive exercises. Impact U shares the knowledge and first-hand experiences of thought-leaders and experts working in business, law, government and financial services that shine a light on the many facets of what the trendy term “impact investing” actually means and how it benefits society environmentally, socially and economically. We believe that by bringing together experts from every angle of the impact investing community, we can dispel common misconceptions, share best practices for improving the impact industry and ultimately encourage more people to join in the movement. As a new addition to the Impact U suite of tools, Vanderbilt and CEO/Executive Producer Steve Distante recently released a documentary short film titled “Impact”. “Impact” showcases the power of entrepreneurs who have infused purpose into their businesses by aligning with one or more of the UN's SDGs. The film profiles entrepreneurs as artists who use their businesses as their canvas; painting their passions, purpose and drive into a profitable venture that has the possibility of improving the world's challenges. The film weaves together the personal stories of entrepreneurs with the history of impact investing, leaving the audience empowered to take action regardless of whether they start their own business or invest in those changing the world. | The educational content delivered through Impact U was focused around digestible short form videos, podcasts, a documentary film, blog posts and a study guide for how to navigate the material. We specifically focused on experience sharing and storytelling to create compelling content geared towards students, investors, and Financial Advisors just starting out as well as those who are seasoned professionals. We aim to connect our audience personally with the subject matter – issuing a rallying call to action that impact investing is for everyone and everyone can make a difference. With the release of Impact U, Vanderbilt experienced 2 record years of growth in 2017/2018 as the firm expanded our Impact-focused RIA. Now seen as a disruptor in the space, Impact U has been a key driver of our expansion as advisors increasingly seek ways to connect with clients demanding their investments align with their values. We added 45 new financial representatives to the ranks including a number of strictly impact focused advisor groups such as Empowered Investments, Gitterman Wealth Management, Centered Wealth, Rainbow Investment Solutions, Common Interests, and Greenvest. “Impact”, the documentary film, was premiered at the first ever Sustainable Investment Conference at the United Nations on September 11, 2018 in front of over 500 financial advisors from around the country. Since then, the film has continued to spread its message through screenings online via the Impact U website and in person through churches, private events, industry conferences and the Cucalorus Film Festival. To date, we estimate over 5000 unique views of the film with our journey just beginning. In 2019, the film will have two tentpole screenings for the financial services industry, a tour aimed at educating student and entrepreneurial affinity groups, and several film festivals. | https://impactu.me/ | 4 | |
| Envestnet | Fintech company | Chicago | IL | 1999 | The future is about attracting talent. The ability to draw young innovators to the workforce and invest in diverse talent will be crucial to the continued success of the wealth management industry. Yet, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of interest by college students for a career in financial services. Envestnet believes that it's the duty of financial technology leaders to bring in the talent that will drive change–individuals who are willing to take risks, are creative, and have the potential to transform wealth management. Envestnet is embarking on this mission through the Envestnet Institute on Campus (EIOC). The goal of EIOC is to: • Build connections between colleges and the wealth management industry to train talented students and position them for future employment within the field • Supplement what students are learning in their classrooms with foundational knowledge of wealth management so they see it as a vibrant career path • Provide the resources, training and tools the next generation needs to be successful, active contributors to the financial services field • Give them an edge when they're applying for jobs Starting with 4 schools in 2015, the program has grown to 30 participating universities. Our objective is to train more than 6,000 students across 45 – 50 universities by year-end 2021. The EIOC provides job and internship placements through its partnership with DAKdirect. Wealth management firms will be hiring next generation talent. Envestnet believes that the EIOC will have the largest talent pool available that the industry has ever had. | Envestnet Institute on Campus (EIOC) is a scholarship program geared toward students seeking a career in wealth management. There is no cost to the student or university to participate in EIOC, it is funded by the industry. The program targets college-age students with the purpose of teaching about, and encouraging them to enter, the asset and wealth management industry. The course is comprised of seven classes with mandatory tests, optional learning modules, study guides, an internship and job hub, a Women in Wealth initiative, and a mentoring program. In 2018, the program has sponsored events on some campuses and conducted one-on-one training sessions on others. YouTube, live webinars and on-campus visits are used to promote understanding of the various opportunities within our industry. Envestnet's goal in all of these endeavors is to bridge the talent gap by boosting the attractiveness of the industry in order to secure the best and brightest for the future of the assets and wealth management industry. EIOC Statistics since Inception (Spring 2015 through 6/30/2018): • At the end of 2017, 1,143 students graduated from the program. As of 6/30/18, that number rose 31% to 1,500+ students. • 77% completion rate as of 2017; 79% completion rate at 6/30/18 • 23 participating universities as of the fall 2017; 28 participating universities as of 6/30/18; 4 new universities joined in fall 2018 semester • As of 6/30/18, 33% of participants were women and 34% were minorities (similar figures for 2017) • 74% of EIOC graduates have obtained jobs specifically within the financial services industry. Of these, 32% are women and 25% are minorities. EIOC Mid-Year Review 2018 • Presented the first EIOC Vision awards • Six additional universities committed for the fall 2018 season • Fall session had over 500 students enrolled | http://envestnetinstituteoncampus.com/student-toolkit/ | 5 | ||
| Heritage Financial Advisory Group | Registered Investment Adviser | Port Jefferson Station | New York | 1987 | Inside Heritage Financial Advisory Group, our marketing team and advisors noticed a white space in both the local and national market when it came to financial education. As financial professionals, we knew that certain strategies, tactics, and even vocabulary was made to confuse investors, clouding the overall sentiment of our industry and not helping specific professionals that really wanted to serve others . As we continued investigating this wide problem, we developed a target market of men and women between the ages of 35-55 that would benefit most from a solution. When we discovered the idea that this segment is active on Facebook and mostly likely to not only consume but share content, we started the foundation to fill the void of financial literacy in front of social first audiences This was the beginning of building the “Ask The Advisor” media brand in house, a one stop shop initiative that would publish content around our client's, prospects, and growing online community's questions, concerns, fears, and interests around all things personal finance. We decided to become the media brand within our business, showcasing our enthusiasm in helping these segments to apply real financial solutions to real life problems. Our educational focused format for the “Ask The Advisor” brand has become a weekly show published every Tuesday, breaking down viewers questions such as, for example, tackling the complexity of China's influence over market validity to breaking down the basics of investing in the stock market. The long format show, running on average 3.5 minutes, leads our marketing team to produce content on YouTube, a podcast on Anchor, weekly blog, financial roadmaps, and social media posts to engage audiences across a variety of mediums that ignite education and action. | As we started to invest into technology and digital platforms more seriously, we found that most of our audiences were seeking mobile video content, that was easy to watch, easy to share. Our team, when building out “Ask The Advisor”, focused on the brand being “video-first” so that we could engage with audiences for them to really comprehend each show and its lesson, on their time. First, marketing works with our host, VP Mike Desepoli, on a topic, staying consistent with our overarching strategy which is finding the cross roads of key financial topics and current events. Once we have a relevant topic, we film in our in-house content studio. Post-production is when our marketing team and Mike will sit down to edit the long format video, ensure each video is branded and has the correct information, music, and Calls to Action to support it. We also distribute email campaigns, weekly blog posts that are written in house or sharing like-minded articles, Instagram posts, deliver a weekly podcast on Anchor, and distribute financial road maps, all for free. The metrics we try to move is overall engagement by our community (clients, prospects, and online followers). In 2018 alone and just over 100 episodes in, we've seen over 10,000 minutes watched on Facebook and about 50,000 views. On YouTube, we reached nearly 100,000 views and was recently voted one of the top financial channels on YouTube by Feedspot. In financial data, we can thank our production efforts for bringing in over $1M into our AUM in the past year. Some of these new clients have expressed connecting to our videos because they connect with Mike, and communicating with a financial advisor in a brand new way, making them feel relevant, comfortable and confident. | https://www.asktheadvisor.com/ | 4 | ||
| Whealthcare Planning | Fintech company | Belmont | Massachusetts | 2016 | There are currently 114 million people in the US over the age of 50. This figure is expected to rise to 145 million by 2040. These older adults own an estimated 83% of all wealth in the country. However, roughly 80% of adults over 50 suffer from one or more chronic illnesses e.g., heart disease, obesity, depression, etc. Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia can manifest themselves starting at age 60. And a Harvard study concluded that financial decision-making capacity peaks at age 53, often declining rapidly thereafter. As a result, many older adults appear to make sub-optimal financial decisions, leaving them at high risk for financial exploitation and large monetary losses. Estimates of the annual costs of senior financial fraud in the US alone range from $2.9 to $36.5 billion. The US Treasury recently reported that the number of suspected cases of elder financial abuse has doubled in the last 5 years. Regulatory agencies at both the federal and state level are increasingly demanding that advisors do more to protect their older adult clients. FINRA recently announced it will start probing broker-dealers' compliance with new rules meant to protect elderly clients from financial abuse. There is also now a growing body of state-level regulations designed to force advisors to be more vigilant to the signs of diminished capacity and financial exploitation. While not professionally trained to diagnose diminished capacity, financial advisors are nonetheless on the front lines of the war to protect older adults and help them make the best possible financial decisions. Our solutions, the Whealthcare Academy and Whealthcare Education Center, are designed to educate advisors and their clients on one of the most pressing issues now facing the industry: how to more effectively prepare older adults and their families for the financial and emotional challenges of aging. | Our Whealthcare Academy is a cloud-based resource designed to help advisors identify and manage diminished capacity, protect clients from financial exploitation, engage with clients on sensitive topics such as dementia, aging, and financial abuse, and more. It is complemented by the Whealthcare Education Center, which contains similar content, but is intended for use by the general public, including clients. The Whealthcare Academy and Whealthcare Education Center contain over 100 educational videos, whitepapers, original research papers, sample agreements, and other documents authored by nationally known experts in financial planning, geriatrics, and psychiatry. The Whealthcare Academy is available to advisors on a paid subscription basis while the Whealthcare Education Center is free to the public. Selected topics covered in the Whealthcare Academy: Identifying and managing clients with diminished capacity How to more effectively protect your clients from financial exploitation How to have successful client conversations on sensitive topics Getting help from other professionals Dealing with “difficult” clients Selected topics covered in the Whealthcare Education Center: Identifying a financial caretaker Providing financial support for others and creating family agreements Controlling health care costs and being an empowered patient Technology to make a home aging friendly Loneliness as risk factor in financial exploitation Expert authors: Carolyn McClanahan, MD, CFP®, nationally known speaker on the intersection of health and wealth Anthony Weiner, MD, Director, Outpatient Geriatric Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital Ned Hallowell, MD, Ed. D. a child and adult psychiatrist, a New York Times bestselling author, and a world-renowned speaker Steve Gresham, 35-year wealth management industry veteran and recent head of the Private Client Group at Fidelity Investments Chris Heye, PhD, software entrepreneur and author of a ground-breaking study on the relationships among aging, cognitive impairment, and financial decision-making These educational resources are now being used by nearly 100 firms and many of their clients. | whealthcareplan.com | 5 | ||
| Life Goes on Roadmap™ -- a Division of Nancy S. Juetten Marketing, Inc. | Other | Provider of educational materials to advisors | Bellevue | Washington | 2018 | Life Goes on Roadmap™ is a system for personal financial information organization that serves 'prime timers' and homeowners who recognize the value of getting ahead of life in one day before home burglary, natural disaster, or the four D's -- disability, disease, divorce, or death -- can stop them. This system was created by CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional Steve Juetten and Nancy Juetten first as a tool for their personal use and then revised to serve others. Since August of 2018, Financial advisors from across the USA and Canada have licensed this system for use with their clients to welcome rave reviews, new client referrals, and the satisfaction of serving their clients in a practical, personal and profound way. When life turns on a dime, the last thing clients want to worry about is where to find the keys to unlock the most crucial aspects of their financial lives. Financial information organization is actually the gateway to the kind of power and control people hunger for the most, especially when dealing with a crisis. Unlike boring books that put people to sleep or tools that sit on the shelf, the Life Goes On Roadmap™ transforms what some would consider an administrative task to put off into A GAME TO WIN, while offering the added benefit of knowledgeable guides to support clients to reach their destination of completion. This is an engaging, educational and FUN experience through which clients learn a lot and get important tasks completed so the rest of their lives can be smoother cruising to new adventures. Getting organized in this way opens the door for users to save precious time, sidestep aggravation, avoid family conflicts, and gain access to the keys to unlock their lives when the moments matter the most. | The system includes a guidebook, a game board, a digital organizer, and live virtual or recorded 'get it done' sessions that guide clients to become "I'm Ready for Anything Road Trippers." The guidebook serves as the GPS to success. The game board offers a playful visual to showcase the journey ahead. It illustrates how to prepare and the rewards participants will soon welcome. The digital spreadsheet makes it easy to enter, save, store, and share the information with the right people. The live 'get it done day' check in calls allow clients to benefit from expert guidance and 'road side assistance' along the journey. Life Goes on Roadmap™ has earned the endorsement of Sheryl Garrett, founder of the Garrett Planning Network. “Implement the 'Life Goes On Roadmap.' Enable easy, secure access to all your documents, passwords, contacts – everything that matters – in one place, so your partner or loved ones will have the critical information when needed. Give your loved ones and yourself this gift!” “Financial planners and advisors are licensing these resources for their clients' use. What a wonderful, out of the ordinary, but extremely practical and affordable gift. I've already recommended the Life Goes On Roadmap and the recipient was very happy to learn these resources exist. ...Wonderful resource! Thanks, Nancy and Steve Juetten!” – Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, AIF, Award-winning author and Founder of the Garrett Planning Network The compliance department at LPL -- the largest broker dealer in America -- has approved the system for advisor use. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors has reviewed the system and deemed it suitable to share with their 3300+ members who benefit from member preferred pricing. Advisors report an overwhelmingly positive response to the system from their clients and welcome referrals and deeper relationships as a result. | www.bit.ly/deeperservice | 4 | |
| Chepenik Financial | Registered Investment Adviser | Orlando | Florida | 1973 | The goals of Chepenik Financial's Let's Taco-Bout Retirement™ program are straightforward: to interest, engage, and educate employees about the retirement options offered through their employer's retirement savings plan. Through its offbeat approach, this educational program creates an environment that invites employees to think differently about retirement. To achieve its goals, Chepenik Financial partners with a local food truck to create the Let's Taco-Bout Retirement™ Taco Truck for retirement education. The truck is redesigned as an educational vehicle complete with amusing slogans and groan-inducing puns. On the day of the event, employees are provided with meal vouchers to create interest and to draw them outside to the food truck.Thus engaged, employees are now open to the educational opportunity before them and are invited to speak with advisors to learn about the program offerings provided by the employer. The program, which took place at the corporate office of our client, Massey Services, targeted all employees, and everyone across the company, including all field service employees, was given meal vouchers and invited to attend. This provided incentive and created enthusiasm for the program. As employees gathered at the Taco Truck to redeem their meal vouchers, they were presented with fun slogans to generate interest, and an educational counselor was available to provide information and answer questions. Employees were also invited to sign up for follow-up meetings with educational counselors to assist with personal planning. Massey Services has seen incredible growth in participation, increasing 78.3% from 2014 to 3Q 2018. Plan participation now stands at 95.5%, and there is an average savings rate of 4.8% (7.9% including company match). The Let's Taco-Bout Retirement™ program has played an important role in this growth by generating interest and engagement with the program. | The topic of this educational program was retirement planning in general, as well as the importance of saving, budgeting, and debt management. The primary tool used in this program was the taco truck! We partnered with a local food truck and rebranded it for this event as the Let's Taco-Bout Retirement™ Taco Truck. The truck was outfitted with signage on the top and side displaying various program slogans. Employees were also given enrollment forms that were branded for the event with humorous sayings: “Lettuce Freshen Up Your Future” “Put Away A Little Extra Just In Queso” “Be Reckless With Your Sauce, Nacho Savings” “Sign Up Now, Or You'll Be Living La Vida Broke-A” Print materials were also available describing plan offerings and general information about savings, budgeting and debt management. The environment at this event is enjoyable, approachable and fun—and entirely different from that of traditional information sessions. It's really about a cultural shift, changing the way employees think about retirement savings plans, which ultimately yields results in increases in participation, rate of savings, and overall satisfaction with the plan. In conducting this program, we have found that it yields another great benefit to our clients: Because the program is provider-agnostic, the employer gets all the credit for this fun and engaging program. This results in a greater employee attachment and satisfaction, and also makes the employees more receptive not just to this educational opportunity, but to those that will be offered in the future. | https://401kspecialistmag.com/offbeat-and-completely-original-401k-enrollment-strategies1/ | 5 | ||
| Medicare Rights Center | Other | The Medicare Rights Center, a national nonprofit organization based in NYC, is the largest independent source of Medicare information and assistance in the nation. | New York | New York | 1989 | Medicare Interactive Pro (MI Pro), an interactive, online learning curriculum, helps financial planners learn Medicare anywhere, anytime, at their own pace, so they can become Medicare Smart to advise their clients. MI Pro makes it easy to learn Medicare! The curriculum and supplemental materials were developed by the Medicare Rights Center, a nonprofit organization that is the largest INDEPENDENT source of Medicare information and assistance in the nation. Financial professionals can choose from among five programs on MI Pro – with or without continuing education hours – to master the basics of health care coverage for older adults and people with disabilities: Medicare Intensive; Medicare Basics; Medicare Options; Appeals and Penalties; and Other Insurance and Assistance Programs. They can select any course Level or enroll in the “Medicare Intensive,” depending on how much Medicare expertise they want to acquire to help their clients through the Medicare maze. Financial planners will learn how to advise their clients about when to enroll in Medicare, how to avoid late-enrollment penalties, and also help them plan for their health care costs in their retirement years. They can also learn about the Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA), including how their clients can appeal or request a new initial determination. MI Pro includes interactive activities and knowledge quizzes; automatic bookmarking so learners can continue where they left off; printable supplementary tools and fliers; review tests at the end of every course; and a downloadable certificate of completion with a grade of 80% or higher. A MI Pro subscription is good for one year. Certified Financial Planners™ can learn Medicare while earning up to 17 continuing education from the Certified Financial Planning Board®. The nominally-priced MI Pro gives financial planners the Medicare information they need to help build their clients' trust and keep them engaged. | Medicare Interactive Pro (MI Pro) is an online learning curriculum launched in December 2016 and continually updated and improved by Medicare Rights. Medicare Rights has 30 years of experience making Medicare rules and regulations understandable so that professionals know how to best advise their clients and consumers can access the health care they need. MI Pro content is informed by the 20,000 questions Medicare Rights receives on its national helpline each year and 3 million visits to its free, Q and A resource Medicare Interactive. All MI Pro content is vetted for accuracy by Medicare Rights attorneys. The Certified Financial Planning Board® approved MI Pro for up to 17 CFP continuing education hours, links to MI Pro on its website, and deemed the Medicare Rights Center a "Quality Partner." The Financial Planning Association makes MI Pro available to its members so that CFPs™ can earn CEs through MI Pro on their site. Additionally, every State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) Program uses MI Pro to train and certify its Medicare counselors. Investment News Contributing Editor Mary Beth Franklin let financial planners know that MI Pro is an excellent resource to learn Medicare to better advise their retiring/retired clients ("Courses available to become a Medicare pro"). The Medicare Rights Center receives positive feedback regularly from financial planners and other professionals about their Medicare learning experience with MI Pro. A survey of MI Pro learners found that 95% found that the information was either "extremely clear" or "clear." MI Pro for CFPs is the most popular purchase of MI Pro for CE hours on the MI Pro site. Investment News judges can access MI Pro to learn more about it with this coupon code at checkout: INVESTMENTNEWS | https://cfp.medicareinteractive.org | 4 | |
| RBC Capital Markets | Broker-dealer | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 1864 | We developed an educational initiative around Alzheimer's and dementia given the impact these diseases have on the health and wealth of millions of Americans. The campaign is directed toward our 1,800 financial clients and their clients and prospects and is designed to inform them about the devastating impact of cognitive decline while also addressing the importance of developing an action plan to safely transition financial and legal capacity - and help manage the financial implications. Why the need? Because today more than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's or dementia, while more than 15 million Americans care for someone with these diseases. In other words, the odds are that every American is likely to have some experience with this diseases either directly or as a close family member. Keep in mind that dementia is the most expensive diseases in the United States, costing more to society than heart disease or cancer. The outlook is equally sobering, with 16 million Americans expected to live with Alzheimer's/dementia by 2050 - triple the number today. The goal of this initiative was two-fold: 1), Educate advisors and clients about the financial and emotional toll of Alzheimer's and dementia, and 2), Provide an action plan to help ensure that key legal documents are in place, assets are properly titled, and Alzheimer's victims - and their family members - are protected from financial missteps, abuse and liability. | We set the stage for our dementia work with the 2018 introduction of a white paper titled Taking control of health care in retirement (https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/us/en/health-care-in-retirement.) In that extensive paper, we addressed the topic of memory decline and dementia, with a focus on the financial implications of cognitive decline along with statistics that show how dementia disproportionately impacts women. Following the introduction of the white paper, we turned our attention to Alzheimer's and dementia, partnering with the American Alzheimer's Association and a well-known local children's book author (Nancy Carlson) whose husband died from Frontotemporal Degeneration, a rare form of dementia that strikes people under age 60. With input from the Alzheimer's Association, we then crafted a 'Spotlight' piece titled The financial impact of dementia to convey both the emotional and financial toll of dementia from Nancy's perspective. And to help bring Nancy's story to life, we produced a video of her and embedded it in the online version of the Spotlight report. Once we had the printed pieces and video in place, several RBC Financial Advisors reached out to us asking if we could help them organize client events featuring Nancy Carlson. On September 5, 2018, we hosted our first dementia event, which was attended by more then 200 clients. We have since scheduled two additional events and anticipate more this year. Total media impressions as of August.17, 2018: 17,192,425 | https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/us/en/research-insights/the-financial-impact-of-dementia/detail/ | 4 | ||
| Clarity 2 Prosperity | Other | Financial Planning Training, Coaching & IP Development Organization | Westlake | OH | 2011 | Navigating market volatility, taxes, inflation and increasing life expectancies can be challenging when planning for retirement. Investing too safely, clients run the risk of losing purchasing power due to inflation and investing too aggressively can lead to significant financial loss. Both scenarios can create the risk of a client running out of money in retirement. To address these challenges, The Bucket Plan® Best Interest Process can be applied to segment clients' assets in the order in which they will need them, taking into account income needs, time horizon and tax qualifications. The Bucket Plan provides an easy approach to gathering, analyzing and positioning the client's assets to maximize income throughout retirement; take control of taxes, fees, diversification and risk; illustrate an income plan in terms that clients easily understand, and more—simplifying the complexities of holistic financial planning both for financial advisers and their clients. This comprehensive planning process works to help advisers methodically gather, analyze, advise and document each step of the financial planning process while meeting the documentation requirements of a best interest standard. It includes a robust suite of multimedia educational materials, training and support tools, with takeaways including: - An understanding of sequence of returns risk - Powerful diagrams, phrases and concepts to help illustrate the value of this planning approach to help clients move forward in hiring the adviser and - How to perform a financial plan and efficiently streamline the income planning and budgeting process While the first consumer book and surrounding materials have been created for those at and near retirement, future editions are in initial development to apply The Bucket Plan for other target audiences, including high net worth and children. Ultimately, C2P plans to continue building this educational campaign to improve the lives of families worldwide with comprehensive financial planning. | The Bucket Plan includes all the tools needed to effectively document and implement this comprehensive asset positioning philosophy, including: • The Money Cycle: Educating clients on the three phases of the money cycle, along with the biggest mistakes clients make—skipping the preservation phase • The Bucket Plan Presentation: Package a financial plan in terms a client can understand • The Asset Sheet: Gather comprehensive information about their liquid investable assets segmented out by tax qualification • The Income Gap Assessment: Determine the “income gap” between retirement income sources and retirement income needs • The Investment Volatility Assessment: Discover the appropriate amount of volatility the client is comfortable with in each bucket to make suitable recommendations • The Pyramid of Risk: Educating clients on the level of volatility associated with various types of investments in comparison with their current allocation The educational materials supporting this content includes: For advisers • Live group trainings, including a course manual, role-play and certification program • University-style e-Learning videos • Small group and one-on-one coaching • The Bucket Plan software illustration tool • Podcasts, webinars, white papers, scripts, questionnaires, worksheets, documentation requirement templates, marketing collateral, sample documents, client scenarios and more For clients • “The Bucket Plan” bestselling consumer book with a foreword from Ed Slott • The Bucket Plan public workshop • Consumer-friendly whiteboard explainer videos with tens of thousands of views Since launching The Bucket Plan Certification program in 2017, more than 280 advisers have completed and passed the proctored exam (as highlighted here for consumers: https://thebucketplanbook.com/find-a-planner/). | https://thebucketplanbook.com | 4 | |
| Macquarie Investment Management | Asset manager | Philadelphia | PA | 1929 | The Millennial Mindset program, launched in 2015, is an educational value-add program for today's financial advisor. The program also was built to extend to the end-clients of financial advisors to develop a planning framework and content attune to the financial education of the next generation. The program was developed with Dr. Nathan Harness, Ph.D., CFP®., the Director of the Financial Planning Program at Texas A&M University—a past selection for Investment News' 40 under 40! “Financial advisor” is now a major for college students thanks to passionate individuals like Dr. Harness who have been able to link academia to our industry by training the next generation of advisors. Through his work in the classroom and his past experience as a financial advisor himself, Dr. Harness is able to tell a compelling story of this generation, why it's important that financial advisors service them, and how they can develop a next-generation practice. Our program has two main takeaways. First, millennials, with their growing numbers and their increasing spending power, have dominated economic conversations in recent years. Advisors have been encouraged to diversify their client bases for the opportunity to capture millennial wealth. To do so will require understanding their preferences and behaviors. Our presentation demonstrates that millennials are connected to many of the current economic themes, such as healthy lifestyles and tech trends. Their preferences stand to have lasting effects on markets—a generational impact that could affect how an advisor approaches portfolio construction. Second, millennials can also be critical to the growth of and the succession plan for your practice. We address how hiring the next generation can help you improve your overall service model, and how a diversified book of business is just as important as portfolio diversification when it comes to managing risk and achieving your goals. | The program is primarily an in-person experience for financial advisors—a learning session that can be conducted as a conference keynote, webinar, or lunch meeting. The program is rooted in a 50-minute presentation that is eligible for one hour of Continuing Education credit (Free to the financial advisor) via The Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI) and The Certified Financial Planners (CFP) Board. The presentation provides a generational overview, what that means to you as an advisor and a business owner, and specific action steps you can take to monetize this generation. We've expanded this program to include follow-up PDFs which dive deeper on the topics mentioned in the presentation, as well as branched out to monthly blog-posts on our practice management website. At the request of advisors, we created a 30-minute version that is approved for use with end-clients. Advisors find value not only in learning about the next generation, but also specific action steps needed to actually engage this generation now. Advisors have also embraced this as a way to start the conversation with their clients about how they can get their children introduced to and engaged with the financial planning process. This program has earned us over 130 opportunities since 2015 to be on the mainstage at one of our partner firms, in a breakout room at one of their conferences, or via webinar. These advisors are usually a select group and these events are typically by invitation only. In 2018: • 44 keynote opportunities with partner firms featuring this content • 300+ advisors received CE credit • This was a national program – 2018 participants represented 32 of the 50 states • Representing +$12m in YTD Sales • 20% were re-engaged advisors with no recent activity in the past year | https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1775739/0D446C7A3064A84745F05A5DEA3CEEF0 | 4 | ||
| Raymond James Financial | Broker-dealer | St. Petersburg | Florida | 1962 | Every decision we make – from where to get coffee in the morning to what we do with a windfall – involves a range of subconscious biases shaping the way we think. Raymond James' behavioral finance initiative dives deeper into four of the most common biases: overconfidence, familiarity, loss aversion and mental accounting. The campaign targets current and prospective clients, aiming to 1) educate them about how emotional biases can subconsciously – and negatively – affect their financial decision-making, 2) identify which biases they might lean toward, and 3) position financial advisors as an effective tool for counteracting those biases and providing additional thought leadership on this complex topic. In addition to the client education on the biases, an advisor-facing campaign component includes education about the firm's resources and solutions available as they help clients navigate their emotional biases. Service areas highlighted include: Asset management services, equity research, investment banking, fixed income products, lending and cash management, investment products and mutual fund research, trust and estate services and Goal Planning & Monitoring (the firm's financial planning software). | The firm created a website (www.raymondjames.com/mind-matters) and related national ads to drive brand awareness and engagement with the campaign. Investors were directed to the website through digital advertising, corporate social media and opt-in advisor resources. Within the site, visitors were encouraged to take an interactive quiz to identify which of the four biases they may lean toward, watch short overview videos on each bias, and learn tips for avoiding the traps associated with each bias. To accompany the national campaign, a full suite of client-facing materials for advisors to use with clients and prospects is available, so advisors can help educate clients on the four most common biases, and conduct meaningful conversations with clients regarding clients' own personal biases. Content made available for advisors to leverage includes: a website module for advisors to upload on their business website, including videos and a link to the quiz; emails; advertisements; seminar decks; blog posts; social media content to opt-in to; and printed articles for them to leverage. In addition, Raymond James commissioned a survey of investors. The original research was conducted to help us better understand the psyche of today's investors so that the firm and financial advisors can further tailor our approach to helping clients reach their financial goals. The findings revealed trends regarding investors' views of how emotions influence their investment decisions and factors that heavily influence their decision-making. The campaign garnered over 2,500 unique visitors to the campaign's intranet site, where all resources are housed and available for advisors to use with clients. Advisor social media content, dripped over two months, was leveraged by more than 800 financial advisors. In addition, more than 100,000 users visited the public mind-matters campaign site. | https://www.raymondjames.com/mind-matters | 4 | ||
| eMoney Advisor, LLC | Fintech company | Radnor | Pa | 2000 | eMoney consistently demonstrates a position of authority and a thought leader on many of these 'big' questions the industry is struggling with by providing fact-based research to help clients make business decisions. eMoney's access to the industry's top advisors and efforts to collect meaningful data serve as the foundation of a multi-channel thought leadership strategy. By asking questions and partnering with clients and industry experts to develop educational and engaging content, eMoney is has contributed much to the industry beyond products or services. eMoney has authored several whitepapers including: The Breakaway Advisor's Guide – Explores the current trends and challenges in the RIA market and serve as a guide to help breakaway advisors understand how technology can drive their success. This guide provides valuable insights on: The Current Landscape for Breakaways: Conditions in the RIA sector are positive with plenty of opportunities for new players. How to Power Productivity and Growth: Best practices to serve clients through technology using financial planning, automation, marketing, and compliance tools. The Ins and Outs of a Tech Strategy: RIAs with an integrated tech stack spend 19 percent more time on client-facing activities.* From Selling Products to Delivering Financial Advice – Focused on the evolution of the financial advice industry and how firms that are embracing a planning-led business model – backed by the right tech – are better poised to compete in the industry. Deploying Tech Across the Enterprise – A guide to successfully implementing wealth management technology in an enterprise. With an integrated, enterprise-wide wealth management platform, companies can scale their planning offering and deliver higher-value services to more people. Information Security in the Digital Era – Provides an outline of the risks and the need-to-know data security strategies that financial service organizations should consider to better protect their clients and their businesses. | The Breakaway Advisor's Guide eMoney Spokespersons: Stephen Langlois, Head of Business Development and Ed O'Brien, CEO Segment: Advisors exploring a transition to RIA Research Findings: Case Study: Simonet Financial Group: https://info.emoneyadvisor.com/hubfs/Summit%202017/PPC%20Planning%20Gifs/casestudy.SimonetFinancialGroup_170519-0900.pdf Simonet Financial Group has nearly doubled the price per financial plan because eMoney has enabled him to expand his client base and take on more complex clients. More than 6,000 views of multi-channel content items created to support the whitepaper. --- From Selling Products to Delivering Financial Advice eMoney Spokesperson: Matt Schulte, Head of Financial Planning Segment: Enterprises and firms of all sizes looking to transition to a planning-led business model Financial Service Professionals who deliver advice Research Findings/Success: Since the launch of eMoney-generated assets supporting this theme, there have been nearly 8,000 views of content items, a 40% click-through rate in emails, and more than 25% engagement rates with calls to action. Advisors who provide financial planning services are achieving 40% higher AUM and 14% higher compensation then their peers More than half of investors report wanting an advisor who understands their needs, goals, and risk tolerance Almost all advisors who offer financial planning say it helps them differentiate from digital advice platforms Numbers from a Fidelity Investments® study show the percentage of advisors following a commission-only model fell from 21% to 3%.* --- Deploying Tech Across the Enterprise eMoney Spokesperson: Jeff Schwantz - SVP, Enterprise Sales Segment: Enterprise/Institution Research Findings/Success: Case Study https://info.emoneyadvisor.com/hubfs/Case%20Studies/casestudy.MattCosgriffBerganKDV.LM_180220-1330.pdf BerganKDV recognized that their current tech stack wouldn't support the advanced service offerings their clients would expect as their financial planning needs evolved. With eMoney, they improved client satisfaction and scaled their business. | https://info.emoneyadvisor.com/enterprise-tech-guide?hs_preview=eGjXHXRM-5995930160&wvideo=byiktt8tk5 | Not Estimated | ||
| Schwab Advisor Services | Custodian | San Francisco | CA | 1975 | Schwab Advisor Services Cybersecurity Resource Program In 2016, Schwab Advisor Services launched a comprehensive suite of resources designed to help independent advisors with cybersecurity – the first of its kind offered by custodians. The Cybersecurity Resource Program comprises an online Cybersecurity Resource Center, a series of regional workshops and online webinars, and a consulting program. The program helps independent advisors: • Better understand the regulatory environment, cyber threats and trends. • Build and maintain an effective cybersecurity program. • Educate employees on roles and responsibilities in protecting firm and client information. • Educate employees and clients to adopt cyber-safe behaviors. The centerpiece of the effort is the Cybersecurity Resource Center, a website containing over 50 educational resources designed to help advisors organize, build, and strengthen their firms' cybersecurity programs. Resources include a five-step method that helps navigate the process of building and maintaining a cybersecurity program. The site has experienced more than 17,000 visits and 14,500 downloads since launch. | The centerpiece of the effort is the Cybersecurity Resource Center, a website containing over 50 educational resources designed to help advisors organize, build, and strengthen their firms' cybersecurity programs. Resources include a five-step method that helps navigate the process of building and maintaining a cybersecurity program within their firms. Since its launch, the site has received more than 17,000 visits and more than 14,500 downloads since launch. Schwab has held 36 regional events, reaching over 1,000 advisors. 94% of attendees rated the event “excellent” or “very good.” Schwab also delivered 20 webcasts that reached 4,020 advisors. 87% of attendees rated the events “excellent” or “very good.” The final element is the Cybersecurity Insight to Action Program – a six-hour interactive workshop followed by a multi-week engagement designed to produce actionable tactics tailored to individual advisory firms. To date, close to 172 firms have completed or are registered to complete this program. Schwab has held 25 workshops, reaching 635 advisors across 545 firms. All attendees rated the events “excellent” or “very good.” The Resource Center website is accessible by Schwab clients only but provides advisors with access to myriad tools, resources, and materials, including the attached Risk Assessment Guide and the Cybersecurity Reference Guide (https://www.schwab.com/public/file/P-9341133), which allows advisors to determine their risk level and take the necessary steps to mitigate those risks. Additional select examples can be shared with the judges by request. | https://advisorservices.schwab.com/public/advisor/insights_hub/advisors/cybersecurityvideo.html | Not Estimated |
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