The Money Management Institute (MMI) and Financial Advisor magazine are joining forces to take on the “Next Big Thing” – the transition of the financial advice industry to managing “retirement.” The initiative, Next Chapter, will focus on the long-heralded retirement age wave with specific efforts to support financial advisors, investment managers, income product companies, and service, technology, and planning providers.
Financial Advisor has a rich history of providing thought leadership and best practice guidance to advisors. As the leading industry association representing financial services firms that provide investment advice and solutions, MMI facilitates collaboration among investment managers, broker-dealers, FinTech providers, and – most recently – insurance and annuity companies.
The new partnership is aimed directly at helping advisors and their firms work better together and deliver investment advisory solutions that effectively integrate human and digital capabilities.
“For years we’ve talked about the coming ‘decumulation’ phase for Baby Boomer clients,” said Craig Pfeiffer, President and CEO of MMI. “We’ve reached a demographic tipping point where half of the Baby Boomer population is at the age 65 target point – or beyond it. We are focused on accelerating the necessary dialogue for the benefit of advisors, their firms, and – most importantly – their clients. It’s time to take real action, especially in light of our current challenging times.”
“The best financial advisors are already leading the way by providing solutions for their clients that account for the challenges of longevity. With Next Chapter, we plan to provide them with greater support and more innovation,” added Gary Holland, CEO of Charter Financial Publishing Network, the parent company of Financial Advisor magazine.
“COVID-19 burst the bull market bubble and reframed ‘retirement’ and planning. Wealth is now tied to health, and we are all re-assessing our life priorities. What does that ‘Next Chapter’ hold for clients, their advisors, and the firms that supply critical resources and innovation? We are taking action to drive better outcomes,” said Steve Gresham, who will serve as Managing Partner of the Next Chapter initiative.
Next Chapter’s direction and programming will be guided by two steering councils – a Leadership Council, which includes Pfeiffer, Holland, and Gresham, and an Advisory Council. Both groups are comprised of senior executives from firms across the investment advice industry infrastructure.
The Next Chapter leadership team includes Evan Simonoff, Editor-in-Chief of Financial Advisor magazine, David Smith, Co-Founder and Group Publisher of Charter Financial Publishing Network, and Joan Lensing, Chief Programming Officer of MMI.