By Mike Gabriele

Can you imagine life without the world wide web? I remember my days in high school with encyclopedias open all over the place trying to find relevant pieces of information, and now you can practically learn how to take your own tonsils out on the internet. Information gathering has certainly exploded to never-imagined levels thanks to the world wide web.

Social media will do to communications and networking what Google and Wikipedia have done for information access. (more…)

Distribution will be the battleground for winners and losers.

Among the seven trends reshaping financial services, we have talked about backlash against the wealthy and high income earners. We have lamented the fragile trust many clients hold toward their financial advisors. Then we talked about investment costs and last month came around to the coming tax burden. (more…)

When the bill comes due for all the financial calamities that have befallen our country and our economy – the Wall Street bailouts, FDIC-payments for bank failures, protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stimulus, cash-for-clunkers and health care – you had better watch out.  Your clients are going to be paying much higher taxes. Your clients’ retirement savings are in peril. In our lifetime, the tax burden will likely change wealth and consumption habits for ourselves and our clients (more…)