7 Financial Advisory Blogs that Rock: Part 1 of 2

Blogging is finally coming of age for financial advisors. It used to be that blogging was optional – advisors could do it or not, and if not...hassles with compliance were always a handy excuse.

As more and more financial services companies find a way to work within compliance issues, there are fewer excuses not to blog. And that’s especially true for RIAs, who didn't have many excuses to begin with. The fact is that blogging is a terrific way to differentiate you from the competition as a wealth manager, to articulate your unique value proposition and get in front of potential clients, colleagues, members of the media and industry influencers.

With that in mind, here are links to three of seven bloggers in the financial advisory industry that really stand out. I’ll cover four more in a post next week. If you’re still wondering about the impact of blogging, check out some of these blogs, because these bloggers really know what they are doing:

1. Michael Kitces, Nerd’s Eye View: a well-known industry consultant and featured speaker at many conferences on wealth management topics, Kitces’ blog offers daily food for thought on a wide range of topics from the fiduciary standard to blogging to retirement planning to client trust and communication. Many advisors rely on Kitces’ blog to keep them posted on news relevant to the industry: his weekly post on weekend reading for financial advisors is widely followed. A recent noteworthy post focused on longevity assumptions and turned conventional wisdom on it’s head: while most advisors are afraid of being too liberal about longevity, Kitces thinks most are too conservative.

2. David Armstrong, Monument Wealth Management: a featured speaker at industry events on social media and a well-known columnist and speaker, Armstrong founded Monument Wealth Management after stints at The Northrock Group, a global private client group of Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Armstrong uses his blog to comment about the markets, industry events and the economy. A recent post about whether the financial services industry just pays lip service to the “client-first” mantra is definitely worth reading.

3. Cathy Curtis, Of Independent Means: a specialist in advising women, Curtis is a well-known social media pioneer. She’s developed impressive platforms in blogging and on Twitter and is a go-to-source for journalists looking for thoughts on women and financial planning issues and advisors in social media. Her blog deals with issues very relevant to her target audience, women of means and is a good example of how to target an ideal client type in a blog. Her post on women and shopping issues is on-point, and good for a laugh.

Finally...we trust that we've convinced you that blogging is worth a look. If you’re ready to consider blogging and what it can do for your practice, check out the latest complimentary publication in our ClientWise Learning Tools series: "7 Tips for Marketing to Prospective Clients via Blogging."

All the best!