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Is Insurance Churn Really The Issue We Think It is?
by Tony Vidler         Any time an insurance product is replaced by an adviser with an alternative one someone begins howling about “insurance churn” or “twisting of policies” and the immediate inference is that something unethical just occurred.  Sometimes that is true of course, and there are undoubtedly bottom feeders in the industry who survive by […]
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How can you be sure your advice passes the test?
by Tony Vidler        The perpetual worry for financial advisers in the often over-regulated environment is “how can I be sure that my advice will pass the test?”   The concern is understandable given that policymakers typically do not understand the difficulty of applying any sort of objective assessment of suitability to professional opinions – which […]
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Professional Practice Evolution: What Separates Modern Professionals From The Past?
by Tony Vidler        There are lessons to be learned from the evolution of the modern professional practice for those who are not there yet.  There is also no doubt that a number of financial advisers and practices are still evolving, or yet to begin the journey if they are to avoid being rendered redundant. When […]
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How to create a PROCESS to validate your product recommendations
by Tony Vidler        Everyday the situation arises where one adviser recommends Company A as a solution for clients, and another adviser trying to work with the same clients suggests that Company B is better.   This always creates confusion for clients of course, but when it comes to deciding between insurance companies or products it […]
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Professional Selling: It is a real thing!
by Tony Vidler        Professional and selling are apparently 2 words which according to many just don’t go together these days…except they really do.  I’ll go further in fact and say that professionals MUST be selling, but, selling must be professional.   While there is an absolute requirement to place the clients interests above all […]
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Regulation of financial advisors
Time to get with the program on regulation
by Tony Vidler        For all the distractions, downtime and inefficiency that comes with new (or more) financial services regulation it is very easy to see it as an imposition.  Many advisers conclude that regulation is simply bureaucracy which in itself creates little to no value.   I am no fan of meaningless bureaucracy, but […]
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Complicated products have owners manuals, why don’t ours?
by Tony Vidler        face it: our products are complicated as far as clients and prospects are concerned.   The funny thing is, nearly all of the products we buy are pretty complicated these days.  Even though we men folk tend to ignore them to begin with, most of the complicated products come with explanations […]
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financial advisor
Be Your Client’s Consigliere
by Tony Vidler        Which is the more effective style for a financial adviser to adopt: 1. The Expert          OR 2. The Counselor     It is a question many struggle with, and the ideal position is actually: “be either depending on what is required”   This choice is not really […]
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soft dollars adviser incentives
Soft Dollars are terminally ill….thankfully
By Tony Vidler, CFP CLU ChFC I’m calling it: Soft dollars for financial advisers as we know them today is officially “terminally ill”.  Their death is not quite guaranteed, but the odds are very high that they shall die soon’ish…  But I personally think they will die far faster than most expect.  And thank God […]
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Commissions, Conflicted Advice…and finding common ground
by Tony Vidler Well..it has happened. Life Insurance sales commission in Australia is regulated to lower levels, albeit with a phase in period. (See: Life Insurance Commission Reform is Happening In Australia)   The arguments have at times been ferocious, and those arguments are being watched closely in other jurisdictions such as New Zealand.  Here one […]
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