A message to financial professionals from CEO Brian Fowler

I recently watched Richard St. John’s TED Talk on his “8 Secrets of Success.” The three-minute presentation was full of wise words for entrepreneurs – folks who are not easily discouraged in the face of a climb. St. John used a term we have picked up around our office now, “workafrolics.” We love what we do, and if there is any regret, it’s that we didn’t start years earlier.

Whether you have a mom, moms, or hodge-podge of mother-like figures in your life, it's a good time to acknowledge that you're in debt to some highly influential women. 

As we approach Mother's Day, we'd like to help you remember to do two important things:

1) Call your mother.

2) Consider paying it foward by investing in future generations.

Very few investments can yield the returns that can come from investing in the education of our youth. 

 We’ve gotten some feedback recently from a client survey about our technology platform. It turns out, people don’t really care about technology. They don’t refer their friends and family based on technology. Some say they could live without it. So why are we still trying so hard to deliver technology on the leading edge of our field?

While there are plenty of points to debate regarding the moves made by the U.S. Federal Reserve and central banks around the globe to dramatically lower interest rates, there is little doubt that their efforts to re-inflate asset values have worked, possibly too well.

Asset values are largely influenced by interest rates, particularly the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield. As rates are lowered, virtually all other equity values, such as stocks and real estate, rise.  

For advisors and investors alike, last night's announcement to the press of the final Fiduciary Rule from the Department of Labor is big news. You will begin to see summary reports from various national news sources, and the White House has provided a fact sheet summarizing the rule and its changes.

At the end of February, we wrote a blog post called "The Times They Are A'Changin: Fiduciary Rule implications for investors and advisors" about updates to the Fiduciary Rule proposed by the Department of Labor. We are following this topic closely because we are big fans of progress, but it's true – regulations are stressful for the financial services industry. Even conscientious advisors with the best intentions can get tangled in the red tape of compliance.

Revolution Partners team members pledge to serve our clients' best interest above all, and we think our business model is well suited to thrive in the inevitable turmoil of change. This is a commitment we make voluntarily, with or without industry-wide reform. And thankfully, we know we aren't alone. 

From our COO Bob Lloyd

The technology landscape has been changing rapidly, creating incredible opportunities for companies of all sizes. Software as a Service (SAAS) offerings have allowed businesses to dramatically simplify hardware and infrastructure while opening up data access to allow for easy integration.

While there are many pre-built offerings that can be purchased off-the-shelf, some companies, like Revolution Partners, are savvy enough to customize a technology offering for their specific needs and goals using data in the cloud. 

Once in a blue moon, the government introduces regulations that completely alter the landscape. The Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed Fiduciary Rule could have a game-changing impact on the financial services industry, and could have personal implications for both advisors and investors who aren’t prepared.