Voids were exposed in the RIA business in 2018; who or what could fill them in 2019
Yes, the RIA industry's 30,000 firms desperately need a leader, a unifying force, a more certain identity and the faith to collaborate selflessly, but for now, the RIA Invisible Hand still comes up aces
Author Brooke Southall January 1, 2019 at 1:47 PM
Pete Giza
January 2, 2019 — 1:43 PM
Wow! I was waiting for Captain America, Thor and Loki to show up :)
Isaac Costa
January 2, 2019 — 5:36 PM
*fill a void left by industry publications that live and die based on revenues from big events, sponsored content and dubious "top" and "best" awards. Those publications channel a Wall Street culture and ethos that still drives their model*
Well penned keep doing it the right way at RIA Biz readers appreciate your continuing resistance to produce puff pieces fed from PR firms pushing bloviation and promotion. RIABiz draw is keeping it pure, objective, probing, and never afraid to push the envelope or play devils advocate on other side of the spin to illuminate the real story. Keep doing what you do and we’ll keep coming back day in day out
Brooke Southall
January 2, 2019 — 6:48 PM
Thank you, guys. And Thor is en route, Peter!
Bill Winterberg
January 2, 2019 — 7:14 PM
Thank you for your RIA industry coverage in 2018, and going into any new year, it's commendable to seek ways to continuously improve.
You wrote: "At RIABiz we like to think we use a more journalistic style than these bloggers, but carry a similar skepticism about reinventing journalistic revenue models based on selling third-party hype."
Holding your sources and guest contributors to the same journalistic standards are paramount to maintaining the trust of your readers.
One area I see room for improvement in is how conflicts of interest for guest contributors and quoted sources are disclosed by RIABiz.
Enhanced transparency will reinforce RIABiz's commitment to the "journalistic style" you endeavor to uphold and avoids obfuscating the conflicts of interest present in the RIA industry that are often impractical to avoid completely.
With increased transparency, readers will also have more confidence concerning the pureness and objectivity of your content and that you are not "selling third-party hype."
Cheers to 2019!
Jef Spears
January 2, 2019 — 7:35 PM
I share some bipolar attributes too. I go to be bed thinking the RIA industry is DEAD and I wake up with the optimism to "take the hill". Hoping 2019 is filled with more "take the hill" thoughts. RIABiz helps so please keep doing what you and your team of smart reporters are doing. Happy New Year!
Tracey Gordon
January 2, 2019 — 8:00 PM
Wow, what a way to start the New Year, but <a href="http://RIABiz.com" rel="nofollow">RIABiz.com</a> hits the nail on the head by sweeping the cover off the RIA world. After more than a decade of spectacular growth, the too-many, too-much, too-fast syndrome seen in other parts of financial services has begun to undermine some of the glory that we've seen.
The industry has become very crowded and complaints from clients and regulators are becoming too common.
Having worked for some very large companies that have faced their own moments of reflection, my sense is that we’re seeing the call for one in this industry too. The question is, will companies heed the call.
You can bet that clients are not going to sit idly by if service, communication and performance deteriorate. Today, it’s easy to move, and as Wall Street saw their business models suffer from the breakaway broker, there just may be a moment when those who broke find their own positions challenged.
Pete Giza
January 2, 2019 — 8:01 PM
C'mon Iron Man! That's you Brooke ;)
Big Bopper
January 2, 2019 — 8:02 PM
Well done.
brooke southall
January 2, 2019 — 8:39 PM
I hear you, Bill. Yes, we try to walk the line with disclosures. More disclosure is better but it can get to be too much, too. I hope I can get you to write a piece in 2019 for RIABiz!
don felder
January 3, 2019 — 5:20 AM
@Brooke Southall
Bravo - Splendid use of intertwined interpretation and metaphor I’d fashion this work as the RIABiz edition of “Hotel California”
Brooke Southall
January 3, 2019 — 5:48 PM
Don, Next time I'll try to twine in the mirrored ceilings and steely blades. -Brooke
Randy Bullard
January 4, 2019 — 1:43 AM
Nice piece Brooke. I think you captured the industry of the moment well, particularly the pace of technological change. Makes it fun. Good catching up at Invest West.
Brooke Southall
January 4, 2019 — 5:52 PM
Yes, Randy, when we stop having fun then we have to worry. Technology stirs the drink for sure. We live on our computers. It's nice when that world flows better and feels better.
Joseph M Anthony
January 7, 2019 — 7:35 PM
"The 30,000 firms registered with the SEC to give fee-based advice -- plus another 2,000 ancillary support firms focused mainly on RIAs" - I appreciate that you recognize those firms who support and thrive in large part to the growing influence of RIAs within the financial sector. One thing that wasn't said directly but is important to note: The first decade of this millennium showed that RIAs could generate revenue for providing fee-for-advice service. The second decade is proving that RIAs could generate valuable equity in providing fee-for-advice service. That equity opportunity has helped fuel/sustain the growth of ancillary firms providing marketing, technology or practice management support.
Brooke Southall
January 7, 2019 — 7:40 PM
There is absolutely an "RIA business" that goes beyond RIAs themselves. (We consider ourselves one of them!) The firms are the main event perhaps but us ancillary companies, your included, are indispensable and prod and poke the firms to innovate, grow and up their game, fueling a virtuous circle.