Financial advisory is an art that connects intellectual thinking, strategy building and planning with money management. A financial advisor is an agency or an individual who can provide financial services associated with various financial aspects such as investment management, tax payment, asset management, etc. Financial advisors include financial planners, insurance agents, brokers, investors, lawyers, private bankers, accountants, etc. Here is a list of the best financial advisory services available in the country:
Vanguard
The Vanguard Group, based in Pennsylvania, is a leading investment advisor in the United States. It is one of the most prominent financial advisor firms and has more than $7 trillion in global assets under management. Vanguard is famous for its low advisor fees and its huge variety of offerings. Their significant services include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, brokerage services, financial planning, asset management, and trust services. The company provides its investors and customers unlimited access to financial advisors, low expense ratio on funds, solid investment selection plans, goal-based planning, etc.
Montag & Caldwell
Montag & Caldwell, a financial advisory firm based in Atlanta, is among the best financial advisors ranked by CNBC. This firm’s total asset under management is expected to be more than $2.3 billion. The company aims to provide its clients with high-quality financial advisory services and superior returns. They emphasize maintaining high standards of business ethics and a strong commitment to producing investment results for customers. The major service of this financial establishment is providing advisory services on investments in equities and fixed income securities. Their investment policy group comprising portfolio managers and research analysts contributes to a smoother decision-making process.
Betterment
Betterment is a financial advisory firm based in New York City. The company is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and aims to provide cash management and investment services in digital form. Betterment provides its customers with investment, cash management, and planning options such as automated investing, crypto investment, checking services, retirement planning, etc. You can make quicker investments by signing up for the Betterment mobile application. Investors can start their journey with even ten dollars and utilize automated strategies and tools to grow their assets.
Fisher Investments
An independent financial advisory firm headquartered in Washington, Fisher offers its clients a wide variety of financial advisory services. With commitment and a personalized approach, Fisher claims to manage $197 billion for investors globally. They are transparent about all the investment decisions they make. Fisher investment aims to provide disciplined and straightforward investments through its long-term financial advisory services such as budgeting, personalized portfolio management, and annuity assessment. Additionally, they also offer retirement plans and other financial planning services.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management
The J.P Morgan Chase & Co. is a multinational investment bank and private financial service holding company with significant importance in the country’s history. The company was founded by none other than the legendary John Pierpont Morgan, a veteran investment banker and financier of the late nineteenth century. As a global financial advisor, the company focuses on strategic advice and solutions for various financial aspects such as investment banking, risk management, capital raising, commercial banking, and merchant services.
While selecting the firm of your choice, you can analyze information regarding their services, consulting fees, advisory certifications, minimum investments, availability, location, etc., so that you can choose with confidence.
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4 reasons why you must buy the Nike Air Max 90
Read moreThe Nike Air Max trainers have been around for more than four decades now, and they still hold a strong position in the shoe fashion industry. They are still as popular as they used to be in the early 70s. A major reason for the sustained popularity is the constant evolution of designs which have kept up well with the changing trends in the design world. The Nike Sportswear team has also worked well in incorporating the new upcoming designs of the Nike Air Max 90, a clear example of which is the Nike Air Max 2018. This Nike shoe is a pure mix of the new design and authentic Air Max style. If you aren’t convinced already, here are some reasons why you must definitely own a pair of the new Nike Air Max 90:
Breathable
The shoe is breathablethis makes a huge difference to most of the people that are looking to buy a new shoe. When you do not sweat or do not feel a tightness in your foot (wearing the ideal size for your foot), the shoe is considered to be breathable. The Nike Air Max 90 stands out as it is a multi-layered shoe and still extremely breathable.Comfortable
Along with being breathable, the shoe gives you a paramount level of comfort. This is one of the key factors for the popularity of the shoe, along with the exceptional designs, of course. According to a review, many customers have said that they feel like they are walking on air.Exceptional grip
The Air Max shoes are known mainly because of their superior grip and a heavy sole that adds bounce to the shoe. The waffle pattern on the outer sole is the one that adds extra traction to the shoe. This also prevents the wearer from slipping on a watery or oily surface. The grip is not heavy as most people believe that a strong grip means that it would add some weight to the shoe. However, this is not the case in the Nike Air Max 90.Stand-out designs
The shoe has evolved over the years, in terms of the model, design, and colors. There have been multiple collaborations of the Nike Air Max 90 that hold the potential to catch the eye of most people looking for Nike shoes. The new Nike Air Max 2018 is slightly simple as it is only available in gradient colors or solids. However, over the years, the Nike Air Max 90 has had many different and unique design patterns. -
Salient features of the new Microsoft Surface Pro
Read moreIt has been around five years that Microsoft launched its first installment of Laptop PCs. The Microsoft Surface and Surface Pro were more than just an eye candy to all users alike. When Microsoft launch tablets in the consumer electronics market, a market already dominated by tech giants like Apple and Samsung, it quickly gained popularity and became a competitive brand.
For Microsoft, it was all about maintaining a gold standard and giving consumers more freedom on controlling the software and hardware aspects of their laptops or tablets. Looking back half a decade, the Microsoft Surface seems to be a low-end laptop. The newest version of the Microsoft Surface Pro launched in the first half of 2018. It offers a 2-in-1 experience, giving the user the freedom to use it as both, tablet and laptop.
Let us take a closer look at its features and what makes it worth a buy:
Build and design
It can be confusing to differentiate between the new Microsoft Surface Pro and the Surface Pro 4 as both have a similar look. However, a keen eye will notice that the Microsoft Surface Pro now comes with a magnesium-aluminum alloy frame with more dramatically rounded edges. The new Microsoft Surface Pro is 292mm long, 201mm wide, and a mere 8.4mm thick. Its 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen offers a vibrant 2736×1824-pixel resolution.Drawing inspiration from their own arsenal of PCs, Microsoft Surface Pro offers a “studio mode” giving users a Surface Studio-like (Microsoft desktop) experience. The “studio mode” offers a 165-degree angle, allowing users to do much more than just doodling.
The keyboard or as the company fondly calls it, the “Type Cover,” is offered as an accessory. Which means you will have to pay extra to use the tablet as a laptop. This might not work well with consumers who are looking for a comprehensive solution. The “Type Cover” connects to the tablet magnetically. Although it adheres to the screen perfectly, the arrangement can be wobbly if you get too comfortable with it and use it on your lap. The keys are backlit which is helpful if you are using the laptop in a dark room. However, the layout is cramped if you are used to working on a full-size keyboard.
Technical specifications
The following three variants are offered in Microsoft Surface Pro:- Microsoft Surface Pro with Intel® Core™ m3 processor, 128GB SSD storage (Solid State Drive), and Intel® HD Graphics 615
- Intel® Core™ i5 processor with 128GB/256GB SSD storage powered by 4GB/8GB RAM and Intel® HD Graphics 620
- The most popular variant is equipped with an Intel® Core™ i7 processor with 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD storage powered by 8GB/16GB RAM and Intel® Iris Plus Graphics 640
All variants have a single USB 3.0 port for swift file transferring and a mini display port to cast Surface Pro on bigger screens and projectors. This can be handy for presentations or watching movies in a small room. It also houses a micro SDXC card reader, and a headphone/mic jack.
The battery life has always been an important component of a tech gadget as it powers all the components present in them. A RAM is only good enough until backed by an efficient battery. The official Microsoft website claims loftily that the Surface Pro’s 42 Wh (Watthour) can run a video playback straight for up to 12 hours.
Microsoft has tried to up the ante by making the Surface Pen more sensitive by increasing the pressure levels. This gives the users more control over the intensity and width of the lines in their illustrative drawings. They also offer Surface Pen Tip Kit which lets you select a tip based on size and level of friction. The Surface Pen tip kit is offered as an accessory, which is a down-low for users looking for a comprehensive solution.
Price and availability
The basic variant of the Surface Pro which has an Intel® Core™ m3 CPU paired with 128GB SSD storage and 4GB RAM costs approximately less than $800, but it just escalates from there. If your work involves using high-end editing and project-building software, you might have to go with techier and pricier variants. Microsoft Surface Pro with Intel Core i7 with 1TB SSD storage and 16GB RAM can go well over $2600. If compared with leading competitors, such as Apple, they might fall behind as Apple offers a 10.5-inch iPad Pro with 64GB SSD with Apple’s signature A10 X processor for approximately $650 while the most heavily-equipped Macbook (with 512GB and same CPU) costs around $950. Microsoft surpasses Apple given the technical specifications offered for the price.Having said that, Apple outruns any other brand in terms of security. The curated app store is a boon for people who are in search of a failsafe OS. They have been able to thwart cyber threats in under a week. This gives them an edge over any other brand. However, when it comes to flexibility, Microsoft seems to be flexible in terms of an OS as it gives plenty of elbow room for apps. It gives the users more functionality as compared to iOS.
The new Microsoft Surface Pro is a good idea if you are planning to upgrade from the Surface Pro 4 as it comes with more variants and an enhanced battery performance. The Microsoft Surface Pro straddles the fine line between entertainment and productivity. Its 2-in-1 aspect is a sure seller, but it can be heavy on the pockets.