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What a Wealth Advisor Is Worth

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Two happy businessmen looking at digital tablet at desk in office

PLUS: Behavioral finance vs. behavioral coaching.

By Rory Henry
The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management

Malcolm Forbes liked to say, “Advice is more fun to give than to receive.” But the right advice in the right framework can be invaluable. And sometimes, the best advice you’ll ever receive is what prevents you from engaging in harmful behaviors.

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Michael DiJoseph, CFA, a senior strategist at Vanguard Investment Advisory Research Center, has spent a large portion of his career studying how financial advisors advise clients, how they can get better at providing advice and how we can measure the value of advice because these days, everyone from salesclerks at the mall to NASA rocket consultants seem to have the word “advisor” attached to their job title. More on that in a minute.
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Jeremy Dubow: Raising the Bar for Talent | Big 4 Transparency

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Why equity is the new standard for talent retention.

This is a preview. The complete video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here
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Big 4 Transparency
By Dominic Piscopo, CPA
For CPA Trendlines

Jeremy Dubow, CEO and co-founder of Chicago-based, private-equity-backed Prosperity Partners, explains how entrepreneurship in accounting has shifted from demand-driven to capacity-constrained, and why transparent equity programs are becoming the new standard for talent retention.

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Dubow joins Dominic Piscopo on Big 4 Transparency to discuss how accounting-firm entrepreneurship and the operating model required to scale have changed since he co-founded NDH in 2003. NDH later sold to private equity and rebranded as Prosperity Partners, which Dubow described as a case study in how firms are adapting to labor constraints, expanding client complexity, and rising expectations around technology and talent strategy.

Quotables
“The demand for accounting services is greater than it ever has been. The challenge is providing the service at a high level in a labor-constrained environment.”
“AI in and of itself is not right now the solution to solve all our problems. Using automation and offshoring gives us the operational leverage to create that capacity.”
“I recognize that my people are being attempted to be poached every single day of the year.”
“Why have a stock price if you don’t disclose what it is?”
“‘’If I worked that 80-hour week, you should too.’ Well, guess what? That doesn’t work anymore.”

Dubow argues the profession has shifted from a demand constraint to a capacity constraint. Client needs continue to expand, but firms increasingly struggle to staff and deliver services proactively at scale.

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Outlook 2026: Accountants Brace for a Rough Economy

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Expect strong demand for tax planning, business advisory and bookkeeping cleanup work. 

By CPA Trendlines Research

The CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer indicates that tax and accounting leaders anticipate growth in their own firms, even as they prepare for anxious business clients, persistent inflation, and a policy environment that keeps planning on edge.

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BUSY SEASON BAROMETER: Join the survey. Get the results

About half of all accountants in the survey are bracing for a deteriorating economy, with a third expecting rosier scenarios, for a net negative 17.2 percentage points. For small and mid-sized businesses, accountants are at a negative 9.3 points.

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Outlook 2026: The Painful Paradigm Shift in Staff Pay and Hiring

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Pivoting with the Paradigm: Staff salaries are rising sharply even as job growth plateaus.

New jobs data signal fundamental pivot for accounting firms.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The year 2026 may be long remembered as the paradigm-shifting moment when accounting firms were forced to pivot everything from their business models to their budgets.

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The reason: Salary and pay increases are accelerating even as hiring momentum stalls.

Going into 2026, labor costs have been cleaved from labor supply. The new, structurally higher staffing line is forcing firms to rewrite their budgets as well as business models.

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How to Win the Talent Battle

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portrait of John Fenton
Fenton
 John Fenton, CPA, MBA is the CEO of John J. Fenton Executive Coaching, which he launched following a successful 30+ year career as a managing partner and CPA. He is a Certified Success Principles™ Trainer, an award-winning speaker, best-selling author and leading authority in leadership.

Cue purpose, vision and culture as you pursue excellence.

By John Fenton
The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management

Some call it a battle, some call it a war. Whatever you call it, there’s no arguing that competition for talent in our industry is fierce. Accounting firms, like most other businesses, are struggling to find qualified workers to meet the growing needs of their clients and customers. At the same time, opportunities to grow revenue are abundant.

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According to McKinsey data, voluntary “quit rates” are 25 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. At some firms, attrition rates have been as high as 20 percent to 25 percent. Meanwhile, a recent Gallup survey found that only one-third of employees (32%) felt “engaged” in their jobs. Meanwhile, mid-level professionals who would normally be on track for long careers at their employer are leaving in droves to pursue something else.

The aforementioned McKinsey report identified the motivating factors that keep people in their jobs and the demotivating factors that drive them away.
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