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Integrating Options in High Net Worth Portfolios with Brett Kunshek (Ep. 10)

Integrating Options in High Net Worth Portfolios with Brett Kunshek (Ep. 10)

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Join Rusty Sommer from Flyer Financial Technologies and Brett Kunshek of Mariner Wealth Advisors in this episode as they dive into the nuanced world of options.  They cast away myths about its risks and highlight its potential, especially for high net worth clients. Discover how the wealthy use options as sophisticated financial instruments.

Key points covered in the episode:

  • How wealth advisors are redefining their approach to derivatives
  • Why option strategies are the new buzz in today’s turbulent market
  • How to integrate technology that maximizes options strategies
  • Discover who stands to gain the most from options-based strategies
  • The art and science of asset managers striking that golden balance
  • The secret sauce behind captivating today’s informed clients and attracting fresh ones
  • Unveiling how options can uplift your cash flow, fortify assets, and supercharge returns
  • And more – take a peek inside!

Connect with Brett Kunshek:

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About our Brett Kunshek: 

Brett Kunshek, CFA, leads the Options and Structured Notes division at Mariner Wealth Advisors. Before Mariner, he was at the helm of 440 Investment Group, a firm specialized in option investments, which Mariner later acquired. Brett has a history in risk management from his time at Protiviti and holds degrees from Pittsburg State University and the University of Kansas. He’s also an active member of both the CFA Institute and the Kansas City Society of Financial Analysts, blending hands-on practice with theoretical knowledge in finance.

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Unlocking the Power of APIs: Building Scalable Ecosystems in Wealth and Asset Management with Randy Prager (Ep. 9)

Unlocking the Power of APIs: Building Scalable Ecosystems in Wealth and Asset Management with Randy Prager (Ep. 9)

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In this episode of In The Money podcast, we are joined by the CTO of Flyer Financial, Randy Prager.  Join us as we dive into the API economy and learn how APIs are transforming the wealth tech sector, along with how forward-thinking firms are leveraging APIs to build their own specialized ecosystem within the wealth and asset management industries.

Flyer Financial Technologies, known for the FinTech solutions that you love and use every day, has embraced an API-based approach that allows them to extend their multi-million dollar investments in trading networks, order management systems (OMS), and allocation platforms to a broader audience. Taking an API approach allows firms of all sizes to tap into Flyer’s expertise. Once tapped in, you focus on what you do best while leveraging the connectivity and trading capabilities provided by Flyer’s APIs.

Listen in as Rusty and Randy discuss:

  • Helping advisors and asset managers understand how technology is transforming the wealth tech sector
  • How firms are implementing APIs to customize their client journey 
  • How to leverage technology for faster, smarter investment decisions
  • Security and Compliance:  Security, data protection and regulatory compliance are essential considerations in API design and deployment. Flyer ensures that its APIs are designed and implemented in a way that is fully compliant with regulatory standards
  • Why APIs allow you to focus on your strengths while leveraging Flyer’s expertise
  • How the utilization of APIs has exceeded expectations and provided value to customers and partners
  • And more!

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Connect with Rusty Sommer:

About our Guest: 

Randy Prager has spent his career delivering technology solutions to the financial services market, specifically in capital markets and trading. Before Flyer, Randy led software development and technology teams at both startup and big companies, including JPMorgan, MarketXT and Bloomberg. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, he holds a double major in Economics and Electrical & Computer Engineering.

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Defying Conventions: A Closer Look at DeFi with Lex Sokolin (Ep. 8)

Defying Conventions: A Closer Look at DeFi with Lex Sokolin (Ep. 8)

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DeFi (Decentralized Finance) has gained much popularity over the past couple of years in FinTech discussions relating to cryptocurrency. 

Recent statistics suggest that over 70% of advisors suspect their clients are dabbling in crypto without engaging them in the process. In the wealth management world, is there possibly a disconnect between advisors and what their clients want? Where does DeFi fit into the crypto realm? 

In this episode we have Lex Sokolin, the Global Fintech Co-Head at ConsenSys to dissect the term DeFi and explain its impact on Cryptoeconomics. He gives us a closer look at the benefits, opportunities, and concerns within the crypto space.

Lex discusses:

  • What is DeFi?
  • Blockchain and its impact on the financial services industry
  • What is the web3 economy?
  • The factors that led to a recent crisis in the crypto market 
  • And More!

Resources:

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About Lex Sokolin: 

Lex is a futurist and entrepreneur working on the next generation of financial services. He is the Global Fintech Co-Head at ConsenSys, a blockchain technology company building the infrastructure, applications, and practices that enable a decentralized world. Lex focuses on emerging digital assets, public and private enterprise blockchain solutions, and decentralized finance and autonomous organizations.

Previously, Lex was the Global Director of Fintech Strategy at Autonomous Research (acquired by AllianceBernstein), an equity research firm serving institutional investors, where he covered artificial intelligence, blockchain, neobanks, digital lenders, roboadvisors, payments, insurtech, and mixed reality. Before Autonomous, Lex was COO at AdvisorEngine, a digital wealth management technology platform, and CEO of NestEgg Wealth, a roboadvisor that partnered with financial advisors. Before NestEgg, Lex held roles in investment management and banking at Barclays, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank. He earned a JD/MBA from Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics and Law from Amherst College.

Lex is a contributor of thought leadership to the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Bloomberg, FT, Reuters, American Banker, ThinkAdvisor, and Investment News, among others. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences such as Money2020, LendIt, Schwab Impact, In|Vest, T3 Enterprise Edition, and Consensus. His writing is publicly available at https://lex.substack.com.

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The Future of TAMPs with Morningstar’s Daniel Needham (Ep. 7)

The Future of TAMPs with Morningstar’s Daniel Needham (Ep. 7)

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From giving time back to advisors, to reaping the benefits of outsourcing, there’s no denying the advantages of a TAMP. As the industry’s gold standard for data and research, not to mention 2022’s top TAMP of the year, the team at Morningstar’s Wealth Management Solutions knows a thing or two about building a wealth management platform.

In this week’s episode, Daniel Needham, president of Wealth Management Solutions, joins Shannon Rosic to discuss TAMP trends. Daniel shares some of Morningstar’s data, research, and insights with listeners so they can build investment solutions for their clients.

Daniel discusses:

  • The biggest threats to the TAMP industry 
  • The latest trends in TAMPs and wealth management platforms 
  • Why Morningstar chose to invest in the Wealth Management Solutions group
  • Rolling out Morningstar Direct Indexing 
  • And more

Resources:

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About our Guest: 

Daniel Needham, CFA, is the president of Morningstar’s Wealth Management Solutions. After the recent acquisition, he also oversees the U.K. and international business of Praemium and their core products, which were re-branded to Morningstar Wealth Platform and Wealthcraft, a Morningstar company.

Prior to his current role, Needham served as president and global chief investment officer since 2015 for Morningstar’s Investment Management group. In 2013, Needham stepped into the global chief investment officer role for the Investment Management group, and he also assumed responsibility for Morningstar’s investment management operations in Europe. Previously, Needham was chief investment officer and managing director for Investment Management in Asia-Pacific.

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The Future of Wealth and Investment Management with Chip Roame (Ep. 6)

The Future of Wealth and Investment Management with Chip Roame (Ep. 6)

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What does the future of wealth and investment management look like?

In this episode Chip Roame, Founder and Managing Partner of Tiburon Strategic Partners and the Tiburon CEO Summits, breaks down the top five trends he’s following in the wealth and investment management industry.

Chip also shares insight into whether these trends are here to stay, and how they should ultimately inform advisors when it comes to growing their business.

Chip discusses:

  • The five trends in the investment and wealth management industry
  • How Tiburon Strategic Partners conducts their research
  • Why advisors should focus on Gen Xers as the most prominent investors of the future
  • How advisors can consider other segments in their business if they want long-term growth
  • And more

Resources:

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Connect with Shannon Rosic:

About our Guest: 

Chip Roame is the Founder & Managing Partner of Tiburon Strategic Advisors and the Tiburon CEO Summits, and a leading strategic advisor to CEOs, other senior executives, & boards of directors in the wealth & investment management (and WealthTech) markets. Prior to forming Tiburon in 1998, Mr. Roame served in similar capacities, first as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and later as a business strategist at The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Mr. Roame has responsibility for all of Tiburon’s advisory, research, service, & marketing activities which keeps him on the leading edge of strategic initiatives in the industry’s fastest-growing businesses – registered investment companies (mutual funds & exchange traded funds (ETFs)), direct indexing, managed account programs, hedge funds & liquid alternatives, cryptocurrencies (digital assets), structured products, sustainable investing (ESG), financial, tax, & estate planning, annuities & life insurance, discount & online brokerage, online advice firms (robo advisors), traditional financial advisor channels, break-away brokers, the independent advisor markets, wealth management marketing & LeadGen, wealth management technology & turnkey asset management programs (TAMPs), and wealth manager succession planning & acquisitions.

Mr. Roame has been the host and keynote speaker at the semi-annual Tiburon CEO Summits since their inception in 2001, the key speaker at Tiburon’s weekly Tiburon Webinars, and is the author of over 3,000 Tiburon Written Research topics & profiles.



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Beyond Stock Picking: Market Trends & Asset Allocation Strategies With Gina Sanchez (Ep. 5)

Beyond Stock Picking: Market Trends & Asset Allocation Strategies With Gina Sanchez (Ep. 5)

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It’s certainly an interesting time to talk about the stock market, with inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the aftermath of a pandemic. Having a sound strategy for asset allocation and portfolio management has become more important than ever. 

In this week’s release of In the Money Podcast, Shannon Rosic is joined by Gina Sanchez, CEO of Chantico Global, LLC, regular contributor on CNBC, and Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors. Gina and Shannon talk about what it takes to have a successful approach to asset allocation, and why you should stay the course despite market volatility.

Gina shares:

  • Advice for handling market volatility
  • The story behind the name Chantico Global
  • Her approach to asset allocation and reducing errors
  • The advanced strategies investors need when dealing with various types of portfolios and assets
  • The light at the end of the tunnel in spite of recession and inflation
  • And more!

Resources: 

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Connect with Gina Sanchez:

About Gina Sanchez:

Gina Sanchez is the Chief Executive Officer of Chantico Global, LLC and Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors.

Chantico Global was spun out of Roubini Global Economics in 2013. Ms. Sanchez was the Director of Equity and Asset Allocation for Roubini Global Economics. Currently, Chantico Global collaborates with Oxford Economics, the world’s largest economics consultancy. Ms. Sanchez also currently serves as a Trustee of the Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association. Ms. Sanchez also serves as Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors, a $5.4 billion national investment advisor based in Los Angeles.

She also worked in emerging markets research at JPMorgan in New York. She is frequently quoted in the media and was a recipient of Institutional Investor’s 2009 Foundations and Endowments Rising Stars Award.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and a master’s in international policy studies from Stanford University.



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Making a Case for an API-Connected Ecosystem with Craig Iskowitz (Ep.4)

Making a Case for an API-Connected Ecosystem with Craig Iskowitz (Ep.4)

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APIs (Application Programming Interface) have improved the workflow of businesses in many industries by bridging the gap between different software and allowing them to communicate with each other. When it comes to the wealth management industry, accurate, timely, and seamless data exchange is table stakes. So, what does an API-enabled future look like?

In this episode, Craig Iskowitz, CEO and founder of Ezra Group, discusses:

  • What is an API
  • How APIs have transformed the wealth management industry
  • Why it is important to have more transparent and well-designed APIs
  • How to ensure platform security while using APIs
  • Things to consider when evaluating a vendor’s API stack
  • And more!

Resources:


Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Craig Iskowitz:

About Our Guest:

Craig Iskowitz is a business and technology strategy consultant who is a recognized expert on fee-based advisory platforms and wealth management technology. He is the CEO and founder of Ezra Group, a strategy consulting firm providing technology and business advice to banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, and private equity and fintech firms.

In addition to providing customized solutions to the wealth management industry, Craig publishes WTToday, a blog offering the latest insight on technology for wealth, asset, and investment management professionals.

Craig is also the host of the Wealth Tech Today podcast, where he discusses, dissects, and debates the latest news and trends in wealth management technology.



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Scale vs. Service: How Advisors can Utilize Tech to Focus on Outcome-Oriented Advice with Will Trout (Ep.3)

Scale vs. Service: How Advisors can Utilize Tech to Focus on Outcome-Oriented Advice with Will Trout (Ep.3)

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Investment managers and advisors are all about balancing their clients’ needs while striving to provide a superior level of service. 

But, what role does technology play when it comes to providing clients with personalized, outcome-oriented advice? Managers must develop the agility to customize products and services without amplifying operational cost and complexity. 

In this episode, Will Trout, the Director of Wealth Management at Javelin Strategy & Research, joins Shannon Rosic to unpack the challenges and opportunities around personalized delivery of advice and how technology can augment the entire experience.

Will discusses: 

  • His areas of expertise within the wealth management industry
  • Ways investment managers and advisors can achieve a reasonable level of customization and personalization with their clients
  • Balancing scale and service by using technology
  • Trends around portfolio management 
  • The role of direct indexing in the marketplace 
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Will Trout:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

About our Guest: 

William Trout is a thought leader in North American technology strategy and innovation in the wealth and asset management industries. He has particular expertise in platform automation; portfolio management and optimization tools; data capture, storage, and analytics; and robotic process automation and AI. Within the wealth management arena, his interests include financial planning, investment advisory, retail brokerage, and trust.

An authority on digital advice delivery, William has been widely quoted in publications such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and client gatherings.

Before joining Javelin, William led the wealth management practice at Celent, the research and advisory arm of Oliver Wyman. Previously, he was head of product and segment development for affluent and high-net-worth customers within BBVA USA, as well as a member of the BBVA Group’s global Private Banking management team. William holds an AB from Harvard College.



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Tackling Technology Challenges Through Third-Party Integrations with Kartik Srinivasan (Ep.2)

Tackling Technology Challenges Through Third-Party Integrations with Kartik Srinivasan (Ep.2)

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The use of technology has its challenges and opportunities for businesses.

On one hand, you can leverage it to improve workflows. On the other hand, trying to get everyone to buy into the technology and make sure the platform you’re using is safe and secure, can be difficult. 

This week, Kartik Srinivasan, Director – Head of Third Party Integrations, Digital Advisor Solutions, at Schwab Advisor Services, joins Shannon Rosic to explain how technology has evolved over the years. They take a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities RIAs face when building their tech stack while highlighting Schwab’s approach to solving these challenges.   

Shannon and Kartik discuss:

  • His journey in the FinTech industry
  • What you should know about an application programming interface (API)
  • Must-know productivity hacks
  • Challenges and opportunities that come with building tech stacks 
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Kartik Srinivasan:

About Your Host:

Kartik Srinivasan is Head of Third Party Integrations, Digital Advisor Solutions, Schwab Advisor Services. He brings more than 15 years of experience in wealth and asset management and has demonstrated expertise in financial advisor technology including portfolio management, CRM and financial planning. Kartik is responsible for strategy, product management, relationship management and support for Schwab’s third-party integration offerings which include APIs, SSO, Trading, Data Delivery and Salesforce. Kartik is passionate about working with the third-party fintech community and helping independent advisors grow their firms and serve their clients by leveraging the right tech stacks and workflows for their business.

 Kartik previously worked at Morningstar where he spent time in various product-specific roles and moved into a partnerships and integrations-focused role. Kartik holds a Master of Business Administration in Economics, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Economics from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



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