YPO Insights: What Business Leaders From Other Industries Can Teach Financial Advisors
When I joined YPO Scottsdale in 2014, I thought I’d be walking into a room full of business leaders who looked and thought like me. After all, financial services is where I’ve spent my career, and I assumed most of the lessons I’d hear would be about investments, revenue growth, or leadership in firms like […]
Adapting Compliance to Innovation: Lessons From Building a Tech-Forward Advisory Firm
When I founded J.D. Mellberg Financial in 2005, I was an entrepreneur with big goals and a small team. As we grew into one of the nation’s fastest-growing financial firms, I quickly learned that growth doesn’t just bring opportunity—it brings scrutiny. Compliance became a daily part of our operations, and navigating regulations while scaling fast […]
Educating America: Why Consumer Financial Literacy Is the Missing Link in Retirement Planning
When I started in financial services over 20 years ago, I quickly noticed something that troubled me: most people didn’t truly understand their retirement options. They had jobs, they had savings, maybe they had a 401(k) or IRA—but when it came to knowing how to turn those resources into lasting retirement income, many were lost. […]
The Future of Annuities: How Tech-Driven Platforms Are Redefining Retirement Income Planning
When I first entered the financial services industry over two decades ago, retirement planning looked very different than it does today. Back then, most conversations about annuities and income planning happened face-to-face, with paper applications, long contracts, and advisors flipping through binders of illustrations. Clients often left those meetings with more confusion than clarity. Fast […]