As we went to print in mid-January, Bitcoin-related headlines are constant. The cryptocurrency slumped 25% on Jan. 16, for instance, over growing fears of regulatory crackdowns worldwide.
Meanwhile, interest in blockchain, the digital ledger behind Bitcoin transactions, continues to expand. Different industries, including financial services, see the technology as a way to reduce friction and costs.
Writer Ginger Szala tackles the ins and outs of these issues in this month’s cover story, while wirehouse firms’ views on Bitcoin are summarized in Broker-Dealer Beat. We greatly appreciate the time and perspectives that experts like Joe Duran of United Capital shared with us for this important coverage.
Broader global investing issues facing financial advisors and wealth managers today are tackled by Michael Finke in his feature story. In 2018, there are the standard challenges of portfolio management to be faced, says the dean and chief academic officer of The American College of Financial Services; plus — thanks to Amazon, Netflix and other innovators — clients are expecting rising levels of personalized service.
In Washington Watch, Washington Bureau Chief Melanie Waddell describes the results of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’ efforts to improve the diversify of its arbitrators, which are impressive. Female arbitrators now account for 25% of the total group arbitrator pool of about 7,300 individuals.