Bob Veres Unveils New White Paper Report: The Future of the Financial Advisory Business Industry Thought Leaders Reveal Opportunities, Challenges and Trends in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

    LEAWOOD, KS, May 27, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Great Recession market meltdown has created a period of accelerated change and opportunity in the financial planning industry. It has opened a brief marketing window where consumers are anxious and Wall Street--the primary competitor to independent advisory firms--is in temporary discredit. The industry is rapidly evolving. Succeeding--even surviving--this evolution requires adaptation. Bob Veres, editor/author and industry influential, examines the metamorphoses currently happening in the industry and forecasts the future in his new white paper report, The Future of the Financial Advisory Business: Opportunities, Challenges and Trends in the Second Decade of the 21st Century.

"Most importantly, as I outline the trends and look at what might be called 'emergent best practices', I focus on how advisors can anticipate change, adapt, and fully participate in what could become an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity for them and their peers," Veres said.

The Undiscovered Managers Research Report by Mark Hurley, which discussed the future of the financial advisory business from Hurley's vantage point in 1999, was introduced to the marketplace ten years ago. It generated debate about how best to move the profession forward. However current evolution of the industry calls for a new dialogue, and Veres' report--which is over 100 pages long--provides a framework for the discussion.

"This is a superb piece of writing. I suspect its impact will be as great or greater than that of the Undiscovered Managers Reports," says Joel P. Bruckenstein, CFP , editor of the T3 Technology Tools for Today Newsletter. "I really think it is essential reading for everyone in the profession."

"I interviewed dozens of industry thought leaders to get their insights and opinions. The result is a surprisingly clear picture of the next ten years, a look at what may plausibly be forecast as a golden age in financial planning, a time of extraordinary opportunity, growth, prosperity--and, perhaps most important of all, of better and more focused service to the community of financial consumers," Veres writes.

While Veres could easily charge $200 or more for this paper, he is offering it at no cost as a download from his Web site. "This is an important conversation," Veres said. "I want as many people as possible to read the report and benefit from being part of the dialogue."

Access the free white paper at www.BobVeres.com.

Rave Reviews from Industry Influentials
"Bob Veres makes some bold predictions about the future of the financial advisory business. Agree or disagree with any individual prediction, he has done a great service to the industry by providing a rigorously argued and clearly articulated vision of the future, which should open up an important debate.

"Bob puts a spotlight on the key trends that will drive some advisors to great heights and others to obscurity. As a result, the report is a road map for advisors, with clear implications for strategy, operations, marketing and service. Critically, he suggests that the most successful businesses have implemented strategies that eliminate any perceived conflict between the needs of clients and the requirements of business efficiency and profitability. His predictions act as a warning for those who fail to adapt."
~ Julie Littlechild, President, Advisor Impact

"An excellent piece of work and will be well appreciated throughout the industry. Great sections on both the evolution of planning/life planning and on investment approaches."
~ Norman Boone, CFP , Principal, Mosaic Financial Partners and IPS AdvisorPro

"This report provides the main themes for the 2010-2020 profession crosswinds, and reflects a lot of great research and being on the pulse of the profession."
~ Dennis Stearns, CFP , ChFC, President, Stearns Financial Services Group

This is must-read paper for anyone who is interested in the future of our industry. Bob brings quantitative data, key insights and observations gained by talking with advisors and industry experts to enable readers to anticipate and leverage important trends."
~ Spenser Segal, AIFA, CEO, ActiFi, Inc.

"What often gets lost in the statistical research reports about the investment industry is the advisor who is behind all the numbers -- the person, the professional, the entrepreneur. Behind every statistic about the independent advisory industry is a story of a team of people who are putting their talent and energy into creating a perhaps fragile but certainly very significant firm -- significant to their clients, to their staff, to their communities and to themselves.

"Bob Veres' report on the future of the industry does a tremendous job of analyzing all of the statistics and examining the many forces that influence the industry while at the same time showing great understanding and appreciation for the people who build these numbers. The report provides insight into the behavior, goals and ambitions of independent advisors who Bob certainly knows very well. Bob charts a logical and compelling forecast for the future of the industry that I find very convincing. More importantly -- I hope it materializes because it is certainly the kind of future for this industry that I would like to be part of. Thank you, Bob, for the tremendous amount of labor that must have gone in presenting this analysis to the industry."
~ Philip Palaveev, Co-Founder Fusion Advisor Network

About Bob Veres

Bob Veres has been a commentator, author, speaker and consultant in the financial services industry for more than twenty years. He has worked as editor of Financial Planning magazine; as a contributing editor to the Journal of Financial Planning; as a columnist and editor-at-large of Dow Jones Investment Advisor magazine; and as editor of MorningstarAdvisor.com. He authored The Cutting Edge in Financial Services (Bloomberg Press, Jan. 2003), and has presented at many of the financial planning industry's largest professional conferences.

The presentations delivered by Mr. Veres look toward the future of the financial planning profession through his real-world observations and experiences. Often humorous and always entertaining, he brings audiences into a future where advisors learn how to play a central role in the world economy, where they emerge as the most important advisor in their clients' lives, and where they transform themselves into the most referable professional in their community.

Mr. Veres is also editor and publisher of Inside Information, an interactive subscription-based information service for financial planning professionals. He has been named one of the most influential people in the financial planning profession by Investment Advisor magazine and by Financial Planning magazine, and was granted the lifetime achievement award for service to the profession by NAPFA, and Heart of Financial Planning Distinguished Service Award from the FPA. For more information visit www.BobVeres.com.

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