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Articles Written by Jon Henschen

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Why a Silicon Valley Advisor Became an RIA

17:38 25 November in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

November 24, 2020 By Jon Henschen, ThinkAdvisor There's a big difference between broker-dealer and RIA expenses, as one advisor with $100 million in assets and UHNW clients discovered. Recently, our firm worked with an advisor whose experience went against many of the narratives that broker-dealers promote. The process was illuminating, and this advisor invited me to share his story. A Silicon valley-based advisor, Palash Islam had a long-standing relationship at a mid-sized BD, which had brought value and relationships he enjoyed. He came to me seeking options when his firm was soon to be merged into a larger one. Early on in our conversation, I was upfront with the suggestion that Palash should establish his own RIA, as he had over $100 million of assets under management and only a small amount of residual trailing...

Why Broker-Dealer Forgivable Notes Aren’t (Really) Forgiven And Are Instead Ultimately Paid Back By Clients

18:01 23 November in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

November 23, 2020 By Jon Henschen, guest post on Kitces.com The Emergence of Broker-Dealer ‘Recruiting Bonuses’ in the Form of Forgivable Notes Prior to the 1990s, broker-dealers that were recruiting new brokers typically would cover advisor transition expenses plus incidentals as a part of the deal. But as competition for attracting brokers heated up with the booming 1990s, some broker-dealers began to offer an upfront “bonus” for joining the firm… in the form of what was technically a loan to the broker, that would be forgiven (in essence, “earned”) over time by staying with the firm and/or hitting certain growth or retention metrics. However, the payment was technically a loan, as evidenced by a loan “note” that came due for repayment if the required metrics were not met… and thus simply became known...

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Which BDs Are Weakest, Strongest in Bad Markets?

15:32 25 September in Articles Written by Jon Henschen by rafferty

September 24, 2020 By Jon Henschen, ThinkAdvisor When advisors shop for a new broker-dealer, the thought of bear market vulnerability is rarely on their radar — but it should be. Between 1926 and 2017, we’ve experienced eight bear markets. Their duration ranged from six months to 2.8 years, while the severity of the decline varied from about 22% to an 83% drop in the S&P 500. The 1973-1974 stock market crash was an especially deep correction, with the market losing over 45% of its value. (The crash came after the collapse of both the Bretton Woods system and the Smithsonian Agreement, causing deep dollar devaluation.) For broker dealers, the 1973-1974 crash was extremely tough. As Raymond James explains on its website, “During the economic downturn of 1973 and 1974, with the survival of the firm...