Perspectives & Insights Article

Doing work that matters: Wealth Management Vice Chairman Andrew Crowell shares his biggest motivator and other tips learned throughout his successful career in finance.

We’ve all heard the lament and most likely have verbalized it ourselves. When you ask about a colleague’s well-being, you often hear how busy he or she is. And not just busy, but really busy. Our busyness has become a point of pride, perhaps as a subtle way of demonstrating our value. In many ways, busy has become synonymous with success.

In an industry of approximately 300,000 financial advisors nationwide, women financial advisors are still few and far between. In 2016 only 16% of advisors were women, according to research firm Cerulli Associates, although the number could be increasing. Why such underrepresentation when women are expected to control two-thirds of the nation’s wealth by 2030, and are already the primary breadwinners in almost half of American households?

As we become adults, one would assume that naturally we also become more attuned to finances and how to apply that knowledge to the real world. However, that is not always the case. According to FINRA’s ongoing National Financial Capability Study, 63% of Americans are financially illiterate. Perhaps this ineptitude comes from a lack of understanding on a foundational level. An ongoing concern is that children are not receiving the education they need to make successful financial decisions and p...

The popularity of low-cost passive investment strategies has garnered significant press recently, leading many to question if active management is dead or simply doesn’t work. Underperformance of the average active investment manager has certainly added fuel to the fire, as investors search for cheaper index alternatives.

It is well-known that money is the leading cause of disagreements in marriage as two individuals must come together to form a cohesive financial unit. Now that you have said “yes” to the ring … will you both say “yes” to combining finances?

The steps are predictable: Graduate from college, start your first job and then, with a few paychecks in the bank, start saving for retirement and make sure you have the necessary insurance to cover your other stages of life. But the process doesn’t necessarily include life insurance coverage.

With a new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and although we start the year with good intentions, oftentimes many resolutions fall by the wayside.

Life is filled with stress, and both financial and emotional change in the workplace and at home―expected or not―can certainly increase your anxiety level. According to the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America™ survey, money and work remain the two most commonly reported sources of stress, and losing or changing a job can be found at the top of any “life’s biggest stressors” list.