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Longevity Risk Remains Even as Life Expectancy Rebounds

We may be excited to be living longer, but can our retirement strategies keep up? New research shows that financial advisors may need to reassess how they discuss retirement target date planning with clients.

Optimize Resources to Decrease Disruption from Uncertainty: A 360 Approach to Future Proofing

Uncertainty in the financial services industry is not something financial advisors can control, but they can prepare for it. There’s no need for something new. Traditional methods of optimizing resources will work well for businesses regardless of size. Here’s how.

Client Surveys: Find The Right Software for Your Company

For many in the financial services sector, the options for client surveys are clunky, costly, chaotic, or confusing. When it comes to online survey companies, advisors may find that the aspects that drive the popularity of some programs can make them inappropriate for their business. We researched feedback about these customer survey programs to assess the qualities financial advisors were most likely to need. Here are our results.

Student Loan Changes May Impact Retirement Saving

Major changes to student loans could be coming to an employee near you. While payment options may be reduced for borrowers, plan sponsors looking for avenues to help those participants still have many options.

Three Focus Areas for Plan Sponsors on Benchmarking

Employers know that a strong benefits lineup attracts and retains quality employees. They also know those employees are the best asset their company has. But they might not know what they don’t know: how those costs and fees compare to their competition. It can be hard to know what points to look at when comparing plans. Yet benchmarking is essential to plan management.

Hold on to Your HSA Horses: Challenging the Narrative that Education Alone Will Increase Employee Investments in HSAs

The prevailing wind when it comes to encouraging employees to invest their HSA funds is to increase education. But that does not mean sponsors have to sail into it. Instead, they may want to factor in sharp rises in health care spending and continuing needs for emergency funds when drafting internal communications.

Risk tolerance in the real world: Using the Recently Volatile Market to Help Clients

An essential part of investment planning has always included drafting a strategy to account for a client’s level of risk tolerance. Yet, assessing risk tolerance has always been balanced on two imprecise supports. Advisors may want to consider whether their clients who are considering drastic changes are reacting to a volatile market or if one of the imprecise supports of risk tolerance measurement has slipped.

Practice Pointer: It Helps When the Help is Specific

The volatility in the market, and the whipsawing reactions to it, have ushered in an email maelstrom of offers of help. Why aren’t more clients responding? It could be that clients don’t know how to respond to offers to help that aren’t specific. In this practice pointer, we review how advisors can lighten their clients’ loads in seeking help by offering specifics.

Fiduciary Duties as a Stabilizing Force in a Volatile Market

Can advisors help their clients manage investing anxiety in today’s volatile market by reinforcing their duties as fiduciaries? We think so. Here’s an overview of how advisors can detail their commitment to protecting their clients’ bests interests.

What Counts as a “Recession” and Why Your Plan Participants Are Probably Getting This Term Wrong

Lately we’ve noted an uptick in the word recession. It isn’t the frequency of its use that concerns us, it’s the placement. Lately, the use of the word recession has been popping up more in the general media. While we know that talk of recession is a strong indicator of investor confidence concerns, it’s a complicated topic. Getting it right is important.

Are the Kids Still Alright? Retirement Readiness Based on More Than Vibes

New research indicates a gap between how well retirees perceive that they are doing against how well they actually are financially. In the past survey responses of retirees showed high satisfaction even though objective measures told a different story. Plan sponsors may want to increase participant education programming to help with the gap areas identified in new research.

DOL’s Fiduciary Rule: Signs That It Isn’t Coming Back

The Department of Labor (DOL’s) beleaguered fiduciary duty rule lingers on in federal court litigation, but there are signs that the dispute (as well as the Rule) may not be around for long.

Leadership Interrupted - Leading Teams During Tough Times

Political turmoil may be rocking the markets and your firm’s office. How can advisors lead their teams during tough times? Five tips that work.
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