solutions that work

It was on October 31, 2008, that an individual or group of people, writing under the name Satoshi Nakamoto, published what seemed to be a relatively modest, eight-page paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” The paper briefly discusses the drawbacks of payment systems that rely on third parties (financial institutions) to process payments, then

Last month Fidelity announced the opening of its Wealthscape Integration Xchange. The Xchange is an open market “digital store” designed to make it easy for Fidelity’s clearing and custody clients to assemble the best technology solutions for their practices. The Xchange leverages Fidelity’s integrations with over 100 third-party technology vendors. These include such well-known providers

With competition heating up, wealth advisors, more than ever, are challenged to justify their fees. When times are good, clients may attribute it to market momentum, not the advice they’re getting. When markets turn, an advisor’s fee is more visible and may be questioned, particularly if there is a loss. Recognizing this as a persistent

Recently, there has been an interesting uptick in the return of nostalgia brands. This was brought home by the announcement in late August of the return of the iconic FAO Schwarz toy store brand. FAO Schwarz, which closed in 2015 and was owned by the now defunct Toys “R” Us, was acquired by ThreeSixtyGroup Inc.,

Recent reports suggest that traditional trading/brokerage firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, having been forced into becoming bank holding companies by the financial crisis, are rapidly increasing their lending businesses to HNW and UHNW clientele. The chart below shows the rapid build in Morgan Stanley’s private bank loan book since 2012. Goldman’s book also

In the wake of volatile markets this week, we thought it useful to revisit the concept of behavioral investing. No matter how much advisors stress the importance of taking prudent risk in the pursuit of long-term gain through rational asset allocation, many people let their emotions rule in the face of short-term turmoil. In a

While coffee lovers around the world await the eagerly anticipated Starbucks holiday cups, the company has thrown a brand reinforcing tidbit our way in the form of its newest reusable cup. Sold at the register for $2.00, these cups are “grande” size and can be used when ordering drinks. Made of plastic, they are designed

Big news, Dunkin’ dropped the Donuts from its name. If you really like donuts, this is huge. If you are like us, and follow branding trends, this is really huge. Some of you are skeptical, we get it. What’s the big deal, let’s face it, the whole rebrand thing didn’t work out so well for