How it is that the new, new thing in financial advice is an old, old thing retreaded and vastly improved

Great piece addressing how the wealth accumulation focus of advisors melds with the life planning needs that become so critical for clients. But not all advisors who are skilled at the first, know how to deliver the second. The reverse is an even more dismal story. But, clients are going to want both and it is incumbent on the industry to figure out how to do that. As we age and our portfolios get larger, the question of when, how and how much income becomes so much more important than only asset accumulation. Will it become a case of having to move from a pure “investor” advisor to a financial planner — that’s not appealing at all. As the industry evolves and takes care of its customers it is going to have to get the mix right, make it easy to understand and easy to deliver. The firms that get that mix right are positioned for great things. In my mind no one has struck it perfectly yet. Who will do so, will be a fascinating story to watch in this changing industry.
My prediction: taking the family office model and applying it to a much broader universe.