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Did you see USA Today‘s report where a would-be thief tried to dupe a financial advisor into making a withdrawal from a client’s account?

A trusted competent advisor must provide the knowledge and insight necessary to chart an investment course for his clients – as well as the discipline necessary to keep them invested when markets get choppy. Moving away from the nautical metaphors I recently heard an advisor’s role compared to a pedestrian bridge over an eight-lane highway.

For anyone who wonders if Apple can maintain its creative edge and remain on top without Steve Jobs Bill Frezza a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a Boston-based venture capitalist poses another simple question – Remember Polaroid?

Study after study confirms the same thing – passive investing beats active management.

Nina Easton’s recent article “Stop Beating Up the Rich” begins by quoting the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville who chronicled American society’s often contradictory pursuit of both equality and the almighty dollar.

Theodore Roosevelt once said “Nobody cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.” That old adage has become almost a customer service cliché but nowhere does our 26th president’s advice ring more true than in the financial planning profession.

Think back to America History class. Do you remember learning about the Glass-Steagall Act? The law dates back to the Great Depression and enforced a strict separation between banks that take deposits and those that invest in capital markets – that is until it was repealed in 1999.

With all the talk of higher taxes when the Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year it’s important not to become so focused on future tax policy that we overlook some short-lived opportunities.

We always talk about the harm short-term thinking can inflict on your investment portfolio. Now a new study from Professors Francois Brochet Maria Loumioti and George Serafeim at Harvard Business School further explores the risks for companies and investors who are attracted to short-term results.

As many of you know I am an avid Nebraska football fan. One of my favorite players is Turner Gill.