Michael E. Kitces

About the Author

Michael E. Kitces

Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP, CLU, ChFC, is the director of research for Pinnacle Advisory Group, a private wealth management firm located in Columbia, Md., that oversees approximately $1 billion of client assets. He is the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com. Kitces is also one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. Follow Kitces on Twitter at @MichaelKitces.

• The Role of Profit Margins in Business Stability

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  June 19, 2013

  In part two of a post, we explore that while revenue and expenses of a business are not stable, neither is your staff.

• Why Profit Margins Matter

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  June 18, 2013

  Whether the goal is to maximize income or not, the profitability of an advisory firm matters, in far more ways than "just" the income paid out to the owner.

• The CFP Board’s CE Proposal: What’s Driving This Flawed Idea?

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 22, 2013

  In the final post in a series, an exploration of what may be behind the CFP Board’s proposal to offer continuing education. Is it looking to compete with other planning associations?

• The CFP Board’s CE Proposal: Real Strategies to Improve Continuing Ed

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 21, 2013

  In the second of a three-post series on the CFP Board’s proposal to offer continuing education itself, some modest proposals to really improve CE, along with a warning on how the Board’s proposal is rife with conflicts of interest.

• Why the CFP Board’s Proposal to Offer CE Is Wrong

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 17, 2013

  In the first in a series of posts on the CFP Board’s proposal, an argument (from planners themselves) as to why it’s not a good idea and a look at the current, somewhat woeful, state of continuing education for CFPs.

• ‘Time Saving Techniques’ That Add Value for Clients

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 5, 2013

  What can you do to save time if you don't want to put outsourcing burdens on your clients?

• Are Your ‘Time Saving Techniques’ Just Pushing Work Back to Clients?

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 4, 2013

  There is greater pressure than ever for financial planners to maintain high productivity levels, but at what cost?

• Strategies to Improve CE Credit: More Is Better

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  April 19, 2013

  The more CE required, the more demand there is for CE credit, and the more providers willing to try to craft quality CE credit.

• Strategies for CFP Board to Improve Continuing Education Credit

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  April 17, 2013

  It's no secret that the current state of CFP CE credit is a sorry affair. But the CFP Board, as the keeper of the CFP marks, wields a great deal of power to change the system for the better.

• 6 Stages of Behavioral Change, Pt. 2: When Clients Don’t Follow Your Advice

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  March 28, 2013

  Whose fault is it when clients fail to follow your advice? Maybe it’s time for better training.