Practice

Business value: Advisory practice case studies

The valuation of an advisory practice is similar to the valuation of any service-based company. Because of the lack of significant tangible assets, goodwill represents the greatest portion of value within such a company from a valuation point of view. Goodwill is not based on revenue levels as much as it’s based on the resultant […]

By Darren Miles |April 1, 2009

3 min read

Simple Gifts

I recently got a statement from the U.S. Social Security Administration that outlines the retirement benefits I’ll receive in about 20 years. I get this statement annually, glance at the bottom line, and normally toss it into a folder for future reference. But this year, I took a trip down memory lane and had a […]

By Philip Porado |April 1, 2009

2 min read

Odd lots

Online investment information used to be considered the domain of pennystock hustlers, boiler-room hacks and other assorted ne’er-do-wells. They walked the thinnest of lines separating honest appraisal of a rising stock from self-regarding hype for the benefit of insiders. Indeed, during the Internet bust, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prosecuted a teenager for a […]

By Scot Blythe |April 1, 2009

3 min read

Legally speaking: Avoiding liability in uncertain times (Part 2)

Part 2: Letters of engagement and your “get out of liability free” card. This three-part series, advice that reflects lessons learned during past economic downturns, is written to help advisors avoid risk during these turbulent times. Professional financial advisors and planners beware. Clients look to you for advice and rely upon what you recommend. While […]

By Harold Geller |March 31, 2009

5 min read