It’s that time of year again. Every year, the editors of Investment Advisor, Research and ThinkAdvisor argue over who the most influential people in the industry are. We trade names until we get our list down to just 25 deserving people (and the occasional pair). This isn’t just an exercise in cooperative input, but a way to identify what pressures will be put on advisors and the industry as a whole.
For example, this year several key trends emerged. Are robo-advisors a legitimate threat? What can we do about the next generation of clients and advisors? Will we ever see a decision from the DOL and SEC on that F-word no one is afraid to say, fiduciary?
Mike Patton explains the simple reason clients fire their advisors, and offers some suggestions for the less simple task of keeping them.
Finally, Olivia Mellan and Sherry Christie share insights from eight advisors who have built thriving practices around doctors. These high-net-worth clients have a reputation for being difficult that is only partly deserved.
This is the 12th year that we have published the IA 25, our annual list of the most influential people in and around the advisor industry. All the editors of the Investment Advisor Group—of Investment Advisor and Research magazines and ThinkAdvisor—weighed in over several months to choose individuals who in our judgment have been influential, are influential and likely in the future will influence the markets; how advisors invest and plan retirement for clients; and who will affect the regulatory and legislative environment in which advisors operate.
In nearly every instance, an editorial staffer interviewed the honorees on our big list, which for convenience sake, we’ve split up into different categories. Brief vignettes of those interviews occur here, but throughout the month of May, we’ll be posting enhanced versions on ThinkAdvisor.