As we announced last week, effective today, we have retired the Commonwealth Independent Advisor blog. You’ll continue to find all of our thought leadership and practical guidance over on Insights, https://www.commonwealth.com/insights.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, and it kicks off what, for me, is a very special time of year. The holidays are likely to look and feel a lot different this year, which means it’s more important than ever to embrace the spirit of the season. The events of 2020 have shaken us all—and they’re a reminder of just how fortunate many of us are.

Today is GivingTuesday, a worldwide event dedicated to celebrating the spirit of generosity and unleashing the power of philanthropy. To honor this cause, I’d like to discuss how you can make a profound difference in the world by establishing philanthropy as a cornerstone of your practice. Many advisors tell me that helping clients fulfill their philanthropic goals is highly meaningful. For these advisors, a formative experience or event sparked a lifelong passion to give back to their communities.

As you may know, Commonwealth launched our new public-facing website in September. One of the advantages of the new platform is that it allows us to consolidate the content we’ve historically shared on the Commonwealth Independent Advisor blog in a new section called Our Insights.

Financial advisors rely on their relationship with their broker/dealer for a variety of functions, from back-office support to practice management, but there’s a difference between broker/dealers that provide a service and those that allow you to elevate your practice and grow your business. If you’re considering switching firms—and especially if you’re making a move from the wirehouse to the world of independence—choosing the best broker/dealer means looking beyond a big name, shiny sign-on bonus, and slick marketing to consider the importance of fit.