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Scott Smith is the Senior Director of Advice Relationships at Cerulli Associates, where he leverages deep research and analysis to define challenges and deliver solutions across the wealth management landscape. Known for his clear-eyed insights, Scott studies market trends, advisor behavior, and platform innovation to help firms navigate an increasingly complex industry. This week, Jack talks with Scott about his latest research on U.S. managed accounts and why tax optimization has emerged as the top priority for firms, surpassing even portfolio construction. They dive into strategies like tax-loss harvesting, asset location, and tax-smart withdrawals, exploring both the progress being made and the challenges that remain. From compliance and legacy systems to advisor adoption and third-party solutions, Scott highlights what firms must do to make tax-smart investing accessible, effective, and essential for client success. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (01:56) - Cerulli's latest research on managed accounts (04:29) - Surprising findings from the study (05:46) – Why asset location has seen little progress (06:45) – The reasons asset location remains underused (09:18) – Walking the fine line between tax planning and tax advice (11:18) – Making tax optimization simple and straightforward (12:38) – Tax-loss harvesting and transition management (14:14) – Coordinating multi-account households for tax efficiency (19:31) – The complexities of managing dynamic households (21:14) – Scott's recommendations for better tax planning (24:42) - Scott's key takeaways for firms and advisors (26:00) - Scott's interests outside of work Quotes "Our goal isn't to educate advisors on every line of the tax code. But letting them know what the fundamentals are, what each of these steps is doing, and then giving them the tool to do it is the most important part." ~ Scott Smith "A lot of the advances in this industry are limited by advisor adoption. So it's most important to create this path of least resistance to tax optimization." ~ Scott Smith "Trying to steer a legacy portfolio accounting or advisor workstation into a better place and redoing the whole thing on the way while still trying to do business is not easy for anyone. So the firm setting up systems to take care of this and making it as easy as possible for advisors to do that is the only way to compete long term." ~ Scott Smith Links Scott Smith on LinkedIn Cerulli Associates Vanguard Morningstar EY 55ip Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
In this Swift Chat conversation, Marie Swift speaks with Michael Rose, CFP®, MST, Director of Wealth Management Research at Cerulli Associates, a leading global research, consulting, and analytics firm specializing in asset management, wealth management, and financial services, to discuss Cerulli's 117-page 2025 study on U.S. wealth management technology, zeroing in on how digital tools are transforming the independent advisory space and service delivery for both clients and advisors. Rose dives deep into the evolving landscape of wealth management technology and its impact on financial advisors and shares insights from Cerulli's extensive research, discussing how the rise of independent advisory channels is reshaping advisor technology needs. He explains the increasing responsibility advisors have in building and managing their own tech stacks outside of traditional broker-dealer infrastructures, while also dealing with the growing expectations investors have for personalized and comprehensive financial planning, which pressure advisors to do more with stable fees, making technology and productivity critical themes. Rose emphasizes practical solutions, such as all-in-one technology platforms, and the pivotal role of educational conferences, like the T3 Technology Conference, in helping advisors keep pace and build competitive tech stacks. The conversation strikes a balance between excitement about AI-driven innovation and recognition of the ongoing challenges advisors face in maximizing technology's benefits to deliver better client outcomes, providing a nuanced perspective on the opportunities and hurdles in technology adoption within the wealth management industry today. Learn more about Michael Rose, CFP®, MST, and Cerulli Associates at www.Cerulli.com
A few weeks ago, Tribe member Ethan shared some stories of his dad accidentally shooting himself on three different occasions. Chaz and AJ reached out to Travis of Cattle Decapitation through Cameo to send some words of encouragement to Ethan. (0:00) Fireworks Kevin was on the phone with Chaz and AJ from American Fireworks, to talk about all the CT fireworks shows he's helped put together this year. Quite a lot of planning and preparation goes into a 20-minute display. (5:36) News 8's Mike Cerulli was in studio to talk about 80's music trending with Gen Z, and comedian Brian Blackmore admitted a deep love for yacht rock. (18:26)
On today's show, Mike is joined by News 8's Jeff Derderian, State Senator Paul Cicarella, Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, and State Representative Greg Howard.
On this week's program, Mike is joined by Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, President of Family Institute of Connecticut Action Peter Wolfgang, Connecticut State Senator Stephen Harding, and Connecticut State Representative Matt Blumenthal.
On this week's show, Mike chats about the state soda tax with State Representative David Rutigliano, a cold case with News 8's Jeff Derderian, and a new measure for firefighters with State Comptroller Sean Scanlon.
Comedian Dan Shea joined Chaz and AJ in studio this morning on what turned out to be one of the biggest traffic nightmares in quite some time, with a tractor-trailer overturned on 95. Chaz and AJ took calls from the Tribe, many who were sitting in the mess on the roads. (0:00) Dumb Ass News: Anthony Avallone of Reitman Inc., called in to discuss the HR worker who went viral for listing the dumbest things she's had to fire people for. That led to stories from the Tribe about the dumb things they were fired for, including a teacher giving a kid a piece of pizza. (13:01) News 8 Political Reporter Mike Cerulli stopped by the studio to make sense out of what is going on at the Capitol, with electric rates, and most importantly, cold brew coffee. (38:20) Dumb Ass News: Teens attack an Easter Bunny. Plus AJ's thoughts on jellybeans. (47:52)
On this week's show, Mike is joined by WTNH News 8's Jeff Derderian, Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Ben Proto, District 36 State Senate candidate Nick Simmons, Connecticut State Representative Greg Howard, and Anthony Anthony from the Connecticut Office of Tourism.
This week, Mike is joined by News 8's Jeff Derderian, State Senator James Maroney, State Representative Tom O'dea, and News 8's George Grotheer.
Do the vast majority of 401k plan 5500s have a red flag? Under performing investments in recent litigation, Cerulli report says 1 million micro plans by 2029, Roth Catch-Up Loop Holes, and more!
This week, Mike broke down the latest on electricity costs with State Sen. Ryan Fazio, reflected on the 2024 election former State Senate candidate Nick Simmons, and previewed the year ahead with CT GOP Chairman Ben Proto.
Ahead of Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration this Monday, Mike breaks down Connecticut politics on this week's show.
UMH is changing the world of wealth management, helping clients earn more and keep more through tax-smart, multi-account coordination. Many advisory firms recognize the benefits of UMH but often face challenges with its adoption. Having access to the right tools and technology solutions, however, best positions firms and advisors to increase assets under management. In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Scott Smith, Director of Advice Relationships at Cerulli Associates and member of the CFP Board's Digital Advice Working Group. Scott has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and leads Cerulli's research on investor behavior and advisory relationships. His research helps clients understand how to optimize their platforms. Jack and Scott discuss UMH, its core elements, and how it revolutionizes financial advisory services. Scott also unpacks his findings on UMH adoption, the challenges advisors face in its implementation, and the innovative solutions paving the way forward. In this episode: [02:05] - Implementing UMH [04:58] - The core elements of UMH [07:19] - Research methodology and findings on UMH adoption [13:09] - Asset location and its complexities [16:02] - Identifying and addressing barriers to UMH implementation [19:44] - The growing demand for retirement income solutions [23:02] - The future of asset location and income generation [25:31] - Scott's key takeaways [28:32] - Scott's interests outside of work Quotes [14:25] - "People are just getting overwhelmed by the number of accounts they have and the number of passwords they have. Anything we can do to make a client's life easier, bring those things together, and not have them worry about is a compelling story." ~ Scott Smith [25:43] - "Every tax optimization strategy is great, but it only matters if advisors use it. So, lack of adoption is the barrier to real impact." ~ Scott Smith [26:14] - "It (tax optimization strategy) has to be easy to understand. It has to be easier for advisors to use than what they're doing right now. And it has to be easy to explain the benefits to clients." ~ Scott Smith Links Scott Smith on LinkedIn Cerulli Associates 55ip EY Vanguard Morningstar Envestnet Morgan Stanley Fidelity Investments Charles Schwab Kismet Improv Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
The past week of Connecticut politics - get it all here!
News 8's Mike Cerulli was in studio with Chaz and AJ this morning to talk about his job as the youngest political reporter in Connecticut, and how often lobbyists are interrupting politicians when they are in session.
Mike's first show of the new year and he sets the stage on what to expect in Connecticut politics in 2025!
On today's show, Mike is joined by State Senator Ryan Fazio, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives Matt Ritter, State Representative Vincent Candelora, Chairman of the New Haven County Young Republicans Patrick Burland, and State Representative-elect Joe Canino.
On this week's show, Mike chats about the week that was with State Rep David Rutigliano, State Senator Stephen Harding, State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, State Senator James Maroney.
This week, Mike Cerulli chats with WTNH News 8's Jeff Derderian, Hearst Connecticut Media's Dan Haar, Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, CT Republican Chair Ben Proto, State Senator Ryan Fazio, and State Rep Chris Rosario.
Quarantasei agenti penitenziari al servizio nel carcere Pietro Cerulli di Trapani sono indagati per torture e abuso d'autorità, in pratica un quinto del totale degli agenti in servizio presso la struttura. Ne parliamo in apertura di programma. A seguire ci occupiamo di guerra in Ucraina e di sicurezza sulle strade.
This week, Mike recaps Election 2024 with Lisa Wexler and Kevin Currian (0:00) and an extended interview with Patrick Burland (38:18).
Ahead of Election Day, Mike Cerulli chats with some of his News 8 colleagues including Jeff Derderian (0:00), and Dennis House (41:34), along with Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon (1:00:00) Senator Richard Blumenthal (1:22:47), and former state senate minority leader John McKinney.
On this week's show, Mike Cerulli chats about early voting with Connecticut State Rep Matt Blumenthal (0:00), and is joined by News 8's Eva Zymaris, (41:46), and State Rep Chris Rosario (1:23:14).
Today, Mike Cerulli speaks with attorney Chris Mattei (0:00), News 8's Jeff Derderian, (40:57), and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (1:22:20).
On today's show, Mike Cerulli recaps the Vice Presidential debate and chats with New Haven County Young Republicans chair Patrick Berland (0:00), State Senator James Maroney, (41:43), and former Bridgeport Mayor and newest WICC host Bill Finch (1:22:33).
Today, Mike Cerulli chats with former state senator John McKinney (0:00), and keeps the conversation going with state senate Democratic candidate Rob Blanchard (39:20), and state rep Chris Rosario (1:19:30).
On this week's show, Mike recaps the week that was (0:00), and chats with former Connecticut state senator Will Haskell (39:38) and deputy Republican leader and state rep Tom O'Dea (1:18:26).
Today, Mike Cerulli discusses this week's presidential debate with Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon (0:00), State Representative Greg Howard (40:00), and Patrick Berland (1:22:34).
On today's program, Mike Cerulli chats with former Connecticut State Senator John McKinney (0:00), 36th District State Senate Independent Candidate Nick Simmons (41:45), and even WICC's own Lisa Wexler (1:24:11).
On today's program, Mike Cerulli chats with former Connecticut State Senator John McKinney (0:00), 36th District State Senate Independent Candidate Nick Simmons (41:45), and even WICC's own Lisa Wexler (1:24:11).
Anthony Cerulli (University of Wisconsin - Madison) joins the podcast to discuss his work on medicine in South Asia, focusing on ayurvedic medicine in premodernity. After some basic background contextualizing south Asian medicine, Anthony provides an overview of the three foundational texts for it. The conversations touches upon subjects such as the role of the patients, how healing is achieved in south Asian medicine, and similarities between south Asian medicine and Greek/Arabic medicine. Although most of the conversation focuses on the premodern past, Anthony also draws connections with the present, including with Covid. The interview ends with some reflections on the broader theme of health and the humanities in academia.
As your Labor Day weekend is underway, Mike Cerulli was live and joined by Connecticut State Senate President Martin Looney (0:00) and Connecticut Young Republicans Chair Patrick Burland (45:45).
Today, it was all about the DNC! Mike spoke with several Connecticut state delegates, including former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin (0:00), Alan Cunningham (44:55), and State Rep Josh Elliott (1:29:43).
Today, Mike had the pleasure of covering the week that was with State Senator Ryan Fazio (0:00), former Speaker of the Connecticut State House Joe Aresimowicz (45:43), and even WICC's own Lisa Wexler stopped by! (1:31:25)
Today, Mike Cerulli covers the week that was with Connecticut State Representative Corey Paris (0:00), Republican Strategist Liz Kurantowicz (45:31), and the National Review's Zach Kessel.
After a week that saw Joe Biden drop out of the 2024 presidential race, Mike Cerulli covered how this will impact Connecticut with State Senator Ryan Fazio (0:00), former State Senator John McKinney, (45:15) and Patrick Burland (1:31:47).
In episode 12 of the Alternative Allocations podcast series, Tony and Daniil discuss the greater focus on alternative investments by asset managers, the wealth management community, and individual investors. With the development of new structures and increasing access to these investment options, they consider the evolution of the industry and both foresee an ever-increasing adoption of alternative investments in the coming years. Daniil is a director of Cerulli's Product Development practice, where he works on the identification, analysis, and reporting of asset management industry trends with a focus on alternative investments. Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Daniil was part of the Product Management and Business Intelligence teams with the MainStay Funds, part of New York Life Investment Management. At MainStay, Daniil supported sales efforts via fund and ETF competitive analysis, product research, and development of marketing materials, as well as performance reporting. Before New York Life, Daniil was part of the risk management practice at Accenture, and held risk and compliance roles at HSBC's investment bank. Daniil is a CFA® Charterholder and holds the FRM And CIPM designations. Daniil graduated from Baruch College with a B.B.A. in Finance and Investments. Daniil Shapiro, CFA | LinkedIn Alternatives by Franklin Templeton Tony Davidow, CIMA® | LinkedIn
Jeff Cerulli: Live At The Bomb Shelter New York City stand-up comedian, Jeff Cerulli, takes the stage at NYC's Bomb Shelter Comedy Show for a one-hour comedy special that takes viewers on a hilarious journey. Cerulli gives his perspective on the true crime craze, the joys of being a dog dad, getting engaged after 10 years, the struggles of helping an aging parent, and more. COMEDY DYNAMICS YouTube Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jeff Cerulli! Comedian! Documentarian! Friend! Guy with a new special out now called "Live at the Bomb Shelter"! ABOUT THE SPECIAL: NYC-based comedian, writer and filmmaker Jeff Cerulli and Comedy Dynamics are pleased to announce the release of Live at the Bomb Shelter, Cerulli's debut full-length comedy special, out now everywhere comedy can be streamed. Cerulli takes the stage at NYC's Bomb Shelter for an hour of comedy that takes viewers on a hilarious journey through growing up on Long Island, the true crime craze, the joys of being a dog-dad, getting engaged after 10 years, and the struggles of helping an aging parent. Notably Cerulli gets into the bad NYC apartments I've lived in: “I had to move about a year ago because my last apartment was filled with lead…which is not what you want.” Cerulli always loved stand up comedy, and knew he would try it one day. He started running comedy shows in his 20s - a great way to land consistent stage time. “I have run so many random shows at different places in the city that most of the bars are now either a 7/11 or a Citibank”. The Bomb Shelter is a weekly comedy show run by Cerulli since 2016 in the basement of the Gaf West - one of the best independent comedy rooms in New York, super-intimate with low ceilings, a hot pipe and Christmas lights all year round. Says Cerulli: “There isn't anything else like it, going up and telling jokes without a net. It is the only artform you must practice in front of strangers to get better.” Cerulli is a filmmaker as well as a comedian, with multiple documentaries, web-series, and short films to his credit. Thus, he opted to make his own special a DIY affair, hiring amazing DP friend Ari Rothschild to shoot and run sound, and Paul Levin from International Digital Centre to mix. Cerulli edited Live at the Bomb Shelter himself, deftly switching hats: “I have been doing comedy for a long time, I have enough material, just do it.“ Cerulli took it to Comedy Dynamics because he loves what they are doing in the comedy space and was thrilled that they came aboard to distribute. ABOUT JEFF CERULLI: Jeff Cerulli is a NYC-based stand-up comedian and filmmaker who has performed all around the world. Jeff has been featured on Sirius radios Jim & Sam show, Amazon Game Breakers, The Laugh Button & Decider. His web series The Feed earned critical praise - The Observer said “it hits too close to home” and Paste called it “a sly satire on social media.” Jeff's feature-length documentary debut Hungry premiered at the IFC Center as part of the DOC NYC film festival. His latest documentary Tasteless, about the ever-changing comedy landscape, is currently available on Apple TV. Jeff currently hosts the podcast Your Team's Stuff where he invites a guest to judge memorabilia he finds off eBay for their favorite sports team ABOUT THIS PODCAST: Listen and enjoy! And know that this is only the first HALF of our chat. For the second portion, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or click on over here to Patreon!
Our guest on the podcast today is Andrew Blake. Andrew is associate director of wealth management for Cerulli Associates. He is a member of Cerulli's Wealth Management practice, leading coverage of asset manager distribution strategy for products sold through financial advisors. With a focus on the wealth management landscape, Andrew assesses trends related to advisor use of investment products as well as their relationships with clients and varying practice types. Prior to joining Cerulli, Andrew worked at John Hancock Investment Management and a Boston-area RIA. He has a BBA in marketing as well as management and strategic leadership from Ohio University.BackgroundBioThe Cerulli Report: US Intermediary Distribution 2023The Cerulli Report: US Advisor Metrics 2023ResearchUS Broker/Dealer Marketplace 2023US RIA Marketplace 2023US High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Markets 2023US Retirement Markets 2023State of US Wealth Management Technology 2024AdvisorsThe Cerulli Edge: US Advisor“More Advisors Are Making the Move to RIA, Independent Models,” by Josh Welsh, investmentnews.com, Oct. 31, 2023.“The Role of the Retail-Direct Channel in a Growing Financial Planning Profession,” cfp.net, March 28, 2023.“Financial Adviser Shortage Looms, Cerulli Reports,” by Natalie Lin, planadviser.com, Jan. 16, 2024.“Asset Managers Embrace a Technology Arms Race,” cerulli.com, Oct. 27, 2022.“As Retirement Exodus Looms, Rookie Advisor Failure Rate at 72%, Study Finds,” by Ayo Mseka, insurancenewsnet.com, Feb. 12, 2024.OtherCreative Planning“Peter Mallouk: The Financial Advice Industry Is ‘Still Very Messy,'” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, March 26, 2024.Vanguard Personal Advisor SelectSchwab Intelligent PortfoliosiCapitalCase IQ