Welcome to our News Round-Up! Here, we’ll share with you interesting news in interesting ways, giving you a snapshot of a few of the important news headlines and events you may have missed this past week.
March 14, 2015
Quote of the Week:
- “I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two.” Presumptive Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave that explanation for her exclusive use of a private email account during her tenure as Secretary of State. If that statement sounds a little odd to you, don’t worry—you’re not alone. It left many people scratching their heads for many reasons, but particularly because of comments Mrs. Clinton made at a technology conference last month, where she was quoted as saying she relied on multiple devises, including two iPads, an iPhone and a Blackberry.
On Your Business:
- “The Less You Do, The More You Do.” That’s the advice given to Jason Segel’s character in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. While the advice-giver, Kunu, wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, he definitely had a point. Financial advisors were given similar words of wisdom at the Fidelity Inside Track conference last week: Work on doing less, not more. Cutting out the time you spend checking your emails can lead to a more productive day and allow you to focus on your goals. Just make sure you read the eMoney blog emails…because they’re awesome, obviously.
On the Industry:
- What are you using to attract Next Gen advisor talent? We hope your answer is “technology!” Each firm has a unique formula they are using to lure new advisors onto their team. What separates you from the rest? This Q&A Session on AdvisorHub highlights that technology platforms are the necessity for winning both advisors and clients.
On Technology:
- “I’d like my life to be less convenient,” said no one ever. While everyone in this part of the galaxy has probably heard that Apple Watch is making its debut in April, you may wonder “What’s in it for advisors?” The Apple watch is expected to add capabilities in the near future that will help advisors manage their business, like the ability to access client data, trade securities, and transfer funds between accounts. Fidelity even announced that their app, available the first day of the watch’s release, will display real time market update and alerts on stocks and investments.
On the Economy:
- Feelin’ Stronger Every Day U.S. stocks fell the most they have in two months, but it’s for a good reason: the U.S. dollar strengthened to a 12-year high against the euro. The cause of this show of strength by America’s currency of choice? Rampant speculation that the Federal Reserve will be raising interest rates in the near future. While many people disagree on what this means for the long-term health of America’s economy, some (like Minneapolis-based investment strategist Jim Paulsen) are taking a wait-and-see approach. “The dollar’s going up so much so fast you wonder what it does to U.S. economic growth down the road, to profitability,” Paulsen said. In the mean time, read Bloomberg’s article on the latest developments. (And yes, that headline was a Chicago reference – an eMoney blog first!)
On the World:
- Talk about holding a grudge. Reviving a tactic used by his conservative predecessors, newly elected Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprias is demanding reparations from Germany totaling over 162 billion Euros. Germany maintains it has already paid any reparations it owed back in 1960, but Greece argues they were never fully repaid for the damages they incurred during the Nazi’s lengthy occupation of their country back in World War II. What a crazy continent…
