Tag: Wealth Management

Trust Strategies that Build Client Trust — With Nikè Anani (Ep. 105)

Trust Strategies that Build Client Trust — With Nikè Anani (Ep. 105)

Amid the Great Wealth Transfer, advisors are seeing a paradigm shift in the way clients are approaching their wealth and legacy strategies. In the second of a two-part series with Nikè Anani, Director of Next Generation for Northern Trust Wealth Management, The Flexible Advisor podcast looks at some ways in which advisors can help satisfy the objectives of a new, Rising Generation.

Nikè discusses: 

  • Incorporating the values and the aspirations of both the grantor and the recipients in wealth transfer planning
  • How you can help to empower Rising Generation clients 
  • The benefits of facilitating open, cross-generational communication
  • Alternative trust structures that may better align with your clients’ evolving priorities 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Nikè Anani:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Nikè Anani is the Director of Next Gen Advisory for Northern Trust Wealth Management. In her role, she prepares next-generation family members for the complexities of wealth ownership. Her personal experience as a second-generation owner and family office founder is the inspiration behind her passion for helping other next gens find their voice and become successful stewards.

An accomplished speaker and author on wealth and values transfer strategies, Nikè is the host of “The Connected Generation” podcast and the author of “Lifetime to Legacy: A New Vision for Multigenerational Family Businesses.”

Nikè earned an economics degree from University College London, is a chartered accountant, and has a certificate in Family Business and Family Wealth Advising from Family Firm Institute. She is a board member of YPO’s Global Family Business Networks, where she champions initiatives to support education and peer learning of the next generation. 

Helping a New Generation – and Your Practice – Ascend – with Nikè Anani (Ep. 104)

Helping a New Generation – and Your Practice – Ascend – with Nikè Anani (Ep. 104)

The emerging generation of adults — particularly family business owners — are grappling
with challenges and responsibilities their parents did not. In this episode, Laura Gregg speaks
with Nikè Anani, Director of Next Generation at Northern Trust Wealth Management. Based
on personal experience running her own enterprising family office and finding her joy and
purpose in consulting with rising gen people like herself. Nike identifies strategies you can use
to help empower these clients for ownership and leadership roles. See how targeted
communication can uncover key generational differences, deepen trust, and retain and grow
assets.

Nikè discusses: 

  • How the dynamics of her family helped her create the path she’s on today
  • What differentiates “rising generation” from “next generation”
  • The unique experiences and concerns facing the rising generation
  • How to deepen trust with these clients to retain and grow assets
  • Key aspects of a productive family meeting
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Nikè Anani:

Connect With Laura Gregg: 

Connect With David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Nikè Anani is the Director of Next Gen Advisory for Northern Trust Wealth
Management. In her role, she prepares next-generation family members for the
complexities of wealth ownership. Her personal experience as a second-generation
owner and family office founder is the inspiration behind her passion for helping
other next gens find their voice and become successful stewards.
An accomplished speaker and author on wealth and values transfer strategies, Nikè
is the host of “The Connected Generation” podcast and the author of “Lifetime to
Legacy: A New Vision for Multigenerational Family Businesses.”
Nikè earned an economics degree from University College London, is a chartered
accountant, and has a certificate in Family Business and Family Wealth Advising
from Family Firm Institute. She is a board member of YPO’s Global Family Business
Networks, where she champions initiatives to support education and peer learning
of the next generation.

Ep 103: Meet Your New Intern: Generative AI – With John Prendergast

Ep 103: Meet Your New Intern: Generative AI – With John Prendergast

How generative AI could transform your practice.


In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with John Prendergast, co-
founder and CEO of Blueleaf. John puts the strengths (and shortcomings) of
generative AI into context for advisors – and suggests how this “lazy intern” should
be managed.


John discusses:
● What generative AI is, how it evolved, and what it’s capable of
● Some concerns and potential risks associated with generative AI in financial
services
● Why advisors need to learn about generative AI before using it with clients
● And more


Resources:
FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds
The Augmented Advisor
How Financial Advisors Are Leveraging Outsourcing And What The SEC Has
To Say About It

The New York Times: Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT
The Imitation Game


Connect With John Prendergast:
Blueleaf
LinkedIn: John Prendergast


Connect With Laura Gregg:
lg79@nrts.com
Laura Gregg’s LinkedIn


Connect With David Partain:
dbp2@ntrs.com
David Partain’s LinkedIn


About Our Guest:
John Prendergast is the co-founder and CEO of Blueleaf and is an active startup
advisor. He is also an experienced entrepreneur and senior executive. As part of 6
founding teams, he has led the product management, marketing, and finance
functions. His background in banking and wealth management has shaped the
vision for Blueleaf.

Ep 102: Coaching Parents Through Some Tough Lessons – With Sarah Newcomb, Ph.D.

Ep 102: Coaching Parents Through Some Tough Lessons – With Sarah Newcomb, Ph.D.

Helping clients address multiple objectives can be fraught with any number of misconceptions, ingrained assumptions, and fears. Laura Gregg and David Partain talked with Sarah Newcomb, Ph.D., founder of The Thrive Financial Empowerment Center, to talk about balancing the desire to finance children’s higher education with the need to work toward a secure retirement. Leaning into core tenets of behavioral investing, Sarah helps to clarify some of the psychological hurdles parents face in this situation and shares practical strategies to help advisors add value to the decision-making process.

Listen in as Dr. Newcomb discusses:

● Common preconceptions that may not serve the client or the children.

● Key points that can shift the narrative in the advisor/client dialogue

● The importance of including the child in the college finance discussion

● The opportunity for parents to model financial problem-solving

● How behavioral investing concepts are becoming core competencies in the advisory industry

● And more

Resources: 

Connect With Sarah Newcomb:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Sarah Newcomb, Ph.D. is a behavioral economist and Founder of the Thrive Financial Empowerment Center. Through writing, speaking, and coaching, she teaches people of all stripes to build lives they love with the resources they have. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Newcomb has worked with corporate behavioral science teams at HelloWallet, Morningstar, and Edward Jones, where she helps financial advisors understand and respond to aspects of psychology that affect financial decisions. In all her roles, Sarah aims to adapt the findings of academic research to practical use in the financial lives of ordinary people, and to ground innovative approaches to financial advice in well-established psychological theory.

Ep 93: Two Pages That Can Elevate Your Clients’ Experience – with Brad Connors of iWealth

Ep 93: Two Pages That Can Elevate Your Clients’ Experience – with Brad Connors of iWealth

Clients who feel engaged in the planning process are more likely to have a positive experience. But how do you better engage clients in the process?

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain speak with Brad Connors, CEO of iWealth. Brad talks about iWealth’s proprietary software, FDC Plan on Purpose, which helps advisors demonstrate their value and elevate the client experience through client meetings that begin with visualization rather than investment portfolio reviews.

Brad discusses: 

  • Why so many clients are unprepared for retirement (it’s not about money)
  • The power of visuals when talking with clients
  • How a two-page document can elevate your practice 
  • How FDC Plan on Purpose can complement an existing tech stack
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With CEO, iWealth Companies:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Brad Connors is the founder and CEO of iWealth and the founder of the FDC Plan on Purpose tool for advisors. Brad is also the author of “Fish Don’t Clap: Planning For A Purposeful Retirement” and has been advising individuals, corporations, and institutional investors for over 29 years. His work has been recognized by many and he has received numerous awards including LPL Financial’s “2019 Chairman’s Award” and Investment Centers of America Inc.’s “2014 Spirit of ICA” Award. Brad has been named a Twin Cities Five Star Wealth Manager Award Winner every year from 2012 to 2018, and one of the 2007 Top 50 Bank Advisors in the Nation by Bank Investment Consultant Magazine.

Ep 91: Going Solo: Making a Leap of Faith — with Kaysian Gordon

Ep 91: Going Solo: Making a Leap of Faith — with Kaysian Gordon

Building a practice from scratch after years in a large-team environment may not be easy, but it can be immensely rewarding.

In this episode, we invited Kaysian Gordon, Founder and Wealth Advisor at Kaysi Gordon Financial Planning, to talk about how she came to that decision, and the lessons she has learned that can benefit any advisor no matter what their career plan. 

Kaysian discusses: 

  • Her professional journey leading up to her decision to step out on her own.
  • How she integrated her personal passion and professional skills. 
  • Her philosophy for investing and life
  • Practical advice for those who choose to run their own business
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Kaysian Gordon:

Connect With Laura Gregg: 

Connect With David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Kaysian Gordon is a Valley Stream, NY fee-only financial planner. Kaysi Gordon Financial Planning provides comprehensive and objective financial planning and investment management to help women of faith who are going through transitions organize, grow, and protect their assets through life’s changes. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Kaysian Gordon is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.

Ep 64: Trends Shaping Wealth Management Today – With Mark Bruno

Ep 64: Trends Shaping Wealth Management Today – With Mark Bruno

Our world has changed dramatically over the past 18 months. The wealth management industry is no different.

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain talk with Mark Bruno, Managing Director of Wealth Management at Informa Connect. Mark talks about his new role in expanding and growing WealthManagement.com, Inside ETFs and Inside WealthStack. He also shares his insights into important industry trends and explains what advisors need to be doing to create an intentional strategy for growth.

Mark discusses: 

  • Advisory M&A activity and the professional buyers driving it 
  • How thoughtful firms are growing by design
  • The convergence of asset management and fintech
  • Why more access to wealth management helps everyone
  • The future of work for advisors and its impact for clients
  • Advisor compensation trends

Connect With Mark Bruno:

Connect With FlexShares:

About Our Guest:

Mark Bruno is Managing Director, Wealth Management, at Informa Connect. He is responsible for developing strategies that will enhance Informa Connect’s offerings for the wealth management community including media, events, and targeted business intelligence for financial advisors. Mark is focused on the expansion and growth of the firm’s media and event properties, which currently consist of WealthManagement.com, Inside ETFs and Inside WealthStack along with strategic partnerships. 

Previously, Mark was a managing director with Echelon Partners, which is a leading investment banking and consulting firm to the wealth and investment management industry. While there, he specialized in helping wealth managers build strategic connections between people, performance and profitability. He focused on valuation, organizational design and assessment, compensation consulting, succession and continuity solutions. 

Mark also spent 15 years at InvestmentNews where he launched the media firm’s content strategy studio, a dedicated marketing and custom content division and managed InvestmentNews Research.

Ep 57: Guiding Women Through Divorce – With Steph Wagner

Ep 57: Guiding Women Through Divorce – With Steph Wagner

While divorce rates have decreased over the last 20 years according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the rates of divorce among baby boomers are increasing. Because family wealth tends to be much higher at this age, these divorces may present complex problems for clients.

In this episode, Laura Gregg and David Partain speak with Steph Wagner, Director of Women and Wealth at Northern Trust. They explore the meaningful impact that advisors can make – both financially and emotionally — when guiding women through major life changes and steps,  advisors can take proactively to ensure couples are prepared for any unexpected transitions. 

Steph shares: 

  • Her own story of working through an unexpected transition
  • The risk of giving up your seat at the family financial table
  • The power story telling has on igniting conversations of hypothetical events
  • What to do if there appears to be financial infidelity in a relationship
  • Things to consider when a family business is involved
  • What to do – and not to do – when helping clients through a transition
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Steph Wagner:

Connect With  Laura Gregg: 

Connect With  David Partain: 

About Our Guest:

Steph Wagner, director of Women and Wealth at Northern Trust Corporation, has long advocated for women who find themselves single due to divorce or the loss of their spouse. She leads the firm’s advisory practice for women who are facing unexpected transitions and oversees our women’s initiative by elevating women. Over the years, Steph has developed a specialized expertise in utilizing financial strategies and empowering women with the resources they need to become effective stewards of their own wealth. She has worked extensively with women across the country to help them address the financial impact of widowhood, to secure equitable settlements, and marriage disillusions. And she has helped them establish a solid foundation for their next chapter