Investing with a moral, sustainable, or ethical bent has made way for a fast-growing subset—gender lens investing. This strategy appeals to those who want to improve the lives of women and girls through investments while making a healthy financial return at the same time.

Although 2020 has been a year of unexpected changes, one routine remains consistent: the fourth quarter means it’s time to help clients plan their finances for the new year. With new tax and retirement considerations related to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, it’s not too early to get going on those planning conversations with clients—this way, they won’t find themselves scrambling during the holiday season, and you’ll have the opportunity to reinforce the value you deliver.

Your firm’s “brand” is about more than the message or tone conveyed by its website or logo. It’s also about you. You’re likely one of the first people to touch base with clients or prospects, and how you come across influences the connection people feel for you and the firm. In short, you’re a keeper of the practice’s brand, a teller of its story.

Families with special needs children or adults must contend with a significant challenge: how to provide their loved ones with the resources to maintain quality of life for the long term. Although there’s no simple solution, special needs trusts have numerous advantages that can help provide economic security for beneficiaries and reassurance for families.

Taking an active approach to investment tax management is one of the best ways to consistently add value to your clients’ portfolios. Any outperformance realized is known as tax alpha—a portfolio’s excess return after taxes minus its excess pretax return.