Written by: Amanda Schiavo | In your career as a planner, you’re bound to meet a character or two. Plus, when you consider the unique bond that develops in an advisor-client relationship, it makes sense you will field some, well, unorthodox requests from clients from time to time.
Scroll through the following list to see advisors' favorite anecdotes on baffling, funny and just plain strange queries.
The Social Security Administration’s 2018 Trustee report contains the same dire news as last year – the benefit program will run out of money in 2034. Some look at this distant date as a reason to remain calm, confident a solution will be found. “Despite the projections on the insolvency of Social Security, I do not hold the belief that Social Security will dry up entirely,” says Ryan Repko, a financial adviser for Ruedi Wealth Management, Inc. in Champaign, Illinois. “For better or worse, social security has become hardcoded in the American DNA, after all, it is not called the ‘3rd rail of politics’ for nothing. No politician wants to be in office and have social security dry up, so something will have to change that will reform social security, to keep it intact for generations to come. That’s my humble optimistic view.”
Others deny the way the math is interpreted. “Social Security is definitively not on the cusp of insolvency,” says Glenn Sulzer, Senior Analyst in the Corporate Compliance division of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. “The media hysteria that typically accompanies the SS Trustees’ Report ignores the fact that under current tax collections, the trust fund will be sufficient to pay 3/4 benefits for 75 years. The choreographed emergency is especially misplaced with those currently 50 and older, and even with respect to employees under the age of 50.
...
Irvine, California‑based Trilogy Financial launched Trilogy Tax & Consulting, an affiliated company that will provide tax preparation and consulting services for its clients.
Trilogy said the affiliate would help its advisors connect clients with tax professionals, identify tax planning opportunities and integrate tax mitigation strategies into financial plans. The firm said the services are intended for individual, family and business‑owner clients.
“We are excited to continue building out our capabilities available through our affiliated businesses with the addition of our new tax and consulting offering,” said Jeff Motske, Co‑Founder, President and CEO of Trilogy Financial. “As clients’ financial lives become increasingly complex, it is important to provide services beyond traditional investment management.”
Founded in 1999, Trilogy has 10 regional offices and more than $5 billion in advisory and brokerage assets.
In March 2024, Trilogy announced an investment by Toronto‑based private equity firm Peloton Capital Management.
“The launch of Trilogy Tax & Consulting reinforces our ongoing focus on partnership, organic growth and delivering differentiated resources to help advisors better serve clients,” Motske said. Read more here.
...
