Executive Whitepapers

Educating Millionaires Executive Briefing

There is a problem with financial literacy in the United States of America. School districts throughout the country have eliminated consumer economics classes from their curricula, and teenagers often turn into young adults who get educated on matters of personal finance through the Internet, or via the School of Hard Knocks.

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Contrasting Investors' Behaviors, 2008 Versus 2020

In the past 15 years, investors have lived through two recessions, Spectrem's President, George Walper Jr. compares and contrasts these recessions in a report published in the November/December edition for the Investment and Wealth Monitor.  Comparing and contrasting investor attitudes and behaviors from the 2008 economic crisis to the 2020 pandemic reveals several important differences.  Client expectations of their financial professional has also changed significantly from 2008 to 2020.  This report contrasts these two historic economic events so financial professionals can understand the new expectations of wealthy investors.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - September

Each month from now until the election, Spectrem will provide financial advisors with insights regarding investor attitudes relative to the election.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - May

Each month from now until the election, Spectrem will provide financial advisors with insights regarding investor attitudes relative to the election.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - April

Each month from now until the election, Spectrem will provide financial advisors with insights regarding investor attitudes relative to the election.

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The Ingredients to Wealth Accumulation

There are numerous ways in which a person can obtain wealth. But there are factors that lead to individual wealth. Some of them are inherent, such as receiving an inheritance. But most others come from the way a person lives, and the methods they employ to add to their personal financial standing.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - March

Each month from now until the election, Spectrem will provide financial advisors with insights regarding investor attitudes relative to the election.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - February

Each month from now until the election, Spectrem will provide financial advisors with insights regarding investor attitudes relative to the election.

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Wealthy Investors and the Election: A Guide for Financial Advisors in 2020 - January

Spectrem research indicates that investors generally become skittish during election years and 2020 promises to be no different. While it is easy for financial advisors to ignore the election and continue to advise clients just as they would in the normal course of events, the amount of media attention and other “noise” regarding political issues creates uncertainty for investors.

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Reclaiming Main Street: SEC Hears Retail Investors' Cries for Proxy Advisory Oversight

Reclaiming Main Street: SEC hears retail investors' cries for proxy advisory oversight updates the views of retail investors on proxy advisors and shareholder proposals from a previous April 2019 survey, and shows both heightened awareness and apprehension among respondents. 

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Wealthy Investors and Their Use of Digital Tools: an Executive Briefing

Are wealthy investors utilizing online digital tools for financial purposes?  This briefing explores their use of digital tools for financial purposes.

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Gen X Investors: The Pressure is On

Gen X Investors: The Pressure is On examines the decisions Gen X investors make regarding investments as well as their communication preferences with advisors.

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The Insurance Gap: Why the Wealthy are Underinsured

The Insurance Gap: Why the Wealthy are Underinsured discusses the amount of property and casualty insurance, as well as excess liability coverage, held by wealthy households.  It highlights for financial advisors of all types the need to ensure that wealthy households truly understand the risks to their overall financial health for failure to properly insure.

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Exile of Main Street: Providing a Voice to Retail Investors on the Proxy Advisory Industry

Exile of Main Street: Providing a Voice to Retail Investors on the Proxy Advisory Industry explains the concerns investors and shareholders have regarding the proxy process and details those circumstances where investors would encourage increased SEC oversight of proxy advisory companies.

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Media Influences on Investors

Media Influences on Investors, a new Spectrem Group whitepaper, takes a look at the various sources investors use for news on investment products and the stock market. 

 

How do today's investors make sense of the day’s economic events in order to make wise and fortuitous investment decisions? And how do they choose media sites and spokespeople whom they believe is offering them the best and most truthful information?

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Eight Ways to Save the Bank Trust Market

The bank wealth management and trust industry continues to decline in both number of accounts and assets. This is despite the fact that markets in the past few years have reached historic highs and the number of wealthy households continues to increase. What is happening to the wealth management and trust industry in banks? Can it be saved?

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Spending Habits of the Wealthiest Americans

While it is true that great wealth provides financial security, it also provides the opportunity to spend money on items others cannot afford. 

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Ready or Not, Long-Term Care Needs Are Coming For You

Ready or Not, Long-Term Care Needs Are Coming For You, a new Spectrem Group whitepaper, takes a look at what your clients will face as they age, and what they expect from their advisors as it relates to Long-Term Care.

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Socio-Political Influences On Investing

Socio-Political Influences On Investing, a new Spectrem Group whitepaper, takes a closer look at some of the outside factors influencing investment decisions, and the impact they have on decision-making.

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Does "Safe" Exist? The Perils of Digital Information

Almost everything we know and everything we do includes some electronic or digital element. Affluent investors want to be able to access their balances and see their portfolios in digital form.

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Tensions with Pensions: An Analysis of Public Pension Fund Members' Knowledge and Sentiment About How Their Money is Being Invested

The public pension systems in the United States provide retirement security for teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public servants.  Despite record stock market results in the past few years, many U.S. public pension funds today remain underfunded.  

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Risk Tolerance in a Volatile Market

Is an investor's self-defined investment risk tolerance in line with their actual willingness to make specific investment choices? 

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Would They Stay or Would They Go?

 High net worth investors consider themselves to by very loyal to their service providers, especially when it comes to their financial advisors.  But how far does loyalty and satisfaction extend? 

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Socially Responsible Investing

Socially responsible investing is the practice of investing in products and services which show or promise a corporation has a desire to have a positive impact on environmental, social and human rights issues. 

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