Retirement plan technology, regulation and demographic shifts (most notably from baby boomers to millennials) are three major industry trends, and all will be addressed on Thursday and Friday at The New England Wealth & Retirement Conference.
Held at (where else?) Gillette Stadium’s Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home to a professional football team of the same name, the event promises a mixture of entertainment and education to benefit advisors in increasing their business.
“How advisors are responding to regulation and Trump’s impact on the industry will be a major focus,” says conference president Stephen Moylan.
Moylan points to a number of sessions of particular interest of which he’s proud.
One is a female-focused panel discussion titled, “’Well-thy Women;’ Why You Need More Female Advisors in Your Practice.”
Women control $5 trillion of investable assets in the U.S. and they are taking on a more prominent role in managing their personal finances, he notes. Top advisors are evolving their practices to address the unique needs of women by tailoring their approach, introducing new offerings for wellness and healthcare, and giving women a voice at the table.
Are female advisors better at the “wellness discussion” and reaching millennials? Are they better long-term planners? Questions asked and answered during the discussion. Moderated by Kathleen Roche, managing principal with Advisor Consulting, guests include Barbara Attardo, senior wealth strategist with Daintree Advisors, Lisa Smith, SVP Fidelity and JoanAnn Natola, managing partner at Element Financial Group.
A FinTech session will cover “what’s next?” in the technology revolution, and features Ian Sheridan, co-founder and managing director with Vestigo Ventures, Ed O’Brien, CEO at eMoney and Dorann Cafaro, founder of Greenleaf Cafaro.
“Meet the Thought Leaders in Socially Responsible Investing (SRI),” will, of course, cover socially responsible investing, and how SRI managers effectively work with advisors and participants to improve participation, engagement with a focus on “responsible investing.”
“SRI and ESG are options today focused on aligning individual’s values with investment choices. Market trends of wealth transfer and increased interest by women and millennials to align their values with life choices are growing in significance. Learn about the latest trends and the rise of social consciousness or ethical investing.”
High-profile celebrity guests include Heather Abbott, Boston Marathon bombing survivor and motivational speaker; Legendary Patriots’ quarterback Steve Grogan; and, Pete Brock, former Patriot’s all-star (we’re sensing a trend).
A tour of the stadium facility closes out the event Friday afternoon.
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
