Over the course of the last year, ThinkAdvisor has seen:

• 38% are mobile visitors, up from 29% last year
• 2.9% increase in newsletter open rates
• 4% increase in average monthly visitors

How have your media consumption habits changed in the last year? Drop me a line with your thoughts at [email protected].

• The stock market and, by extension, the financial industry are getting upbeat: As Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel highlighted in an interview with ThinkAdvisor, posted a day after a big burst of market trading, vaccine news and election updates: “Biden’s winning the presidency and the Republicans holding the Senate is the best thing possible — an early Christmas for the stock market. It’s an excellent combination to block the [Biden proposed] tax increases. If the Democrats do get those two Senate seats in Georgia, [any tax increases] will be muted because conservative Democrats won’t go for some extreme measures.
• Dealmaking doesn’t have to be large in size/scope, but it has to be strategic: While the big deal in the industry wrapped up Oct. 6, when Schwab completed its $22 billion purchase of TD Ameritrade, another large player — asset manager BlackRock — made a much smaller transaction on Nov. 23, when it bought a custom indexer and separately managed account shop, Aperio, for about $1 billion. “It’s no surprise the biggest players are rushing in to buy these [direct indexing] capabilities to protect their turf,” said consultant and Investment Advisor contributor Tim Welsh.
• Firms have to compete on platforms, not just products. Industry giant Fidelity introduced a new wealth platform for advisors in mid-November, which aims to help them streamline business offerings like financial planning, investing and portfolio consulting. The move promptly earned industry praise. “This raises the competitive bar,” said Dennis Gallant of Aite Group.“Within six months everyone will have this, and advisors will want [those platforms] to make their lives easier,” Nexus Strategy’s Welsh explained.
• The low-interest rate environment is pressuring insurers, other industry players. Early in November, Prudential said it would no longer sell certain annuities with guaranteed living benefits. Plus, Jackson National Life recently said it was laying off 150 workers due to “economic conditions and a decline in industry sales.” Meanwhile, brokerage firms like Schwab have warned lower rates are hurting financial results.
• The stock market and, by extension, the financial industry are getting upbeat: As Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel highlighted in an interview with ThinkAdvisor, posted a day after a big burst of market trading, vaccine news and election updates: “Biden’s winning the presidency and the Republicans holding the Senate is the best thing possible — an early Christmas for the stock market. It’s an excellent combination to block the [Biden proposed] tax increases. If the Democrats do get those two Senate seats in Georgia, [any tax increases] will be muted because conservative Democrats won’t go for some extreme measures.
• Dealmaking doesn’t have to be large in size/scope, but it has to be strategic: While the big deal in the industry wrapped up Oct. 6, when Schwab completed its $22 billion purchase of TD Ameritrade, another large player — asset manager BlackRock — made a much smaller transaction on Nov. 23, when it bought a custom indexer and separately managed account shop, Aperio, for about $1 billion. “It’s no surprise the biggest players are rushing in to buy these [direct indexing] capabilities to protect their turf,” said consultant and Investment Advisor contributor Tim Welsh.
• Firms have to compete on platforms, not just products. Industry giant Fidelity introduced a new wealth platform for advisors in mid-November, which aims to help them streamline business offerings like financial planning, investing and portfolio consulting. The move promptly earned industry praise. “This raises the competitive bar,” said Dennis Gallant of Aite Group.“Within six months everyone will have this, and advisors will want [those platforms] to make their lives easier,” Nexus Strategy’s Welsh explained.
• The low-interest rate environment is pressuring insurers, other industry players. Early in November, Prudential said it would no longer sell certain annuities with guaranteed living benefits. Plus, Jackson National Life recently said it was laying off 150 workers due to “economic conditions and a decline in industry sales.” Meanwhile, brokerage firms like Schwab have warned lower rates are hurting financial results.