About FiduciaryNow.com
FiduciaryNow is an effort to educate both consumers and financial advisors of the importance of the fiduciary standard in financial planning and investment advisory activities. FiduciaryNow provides resources of an educational nature, exploring such diverse topics as how consumers can interview financial advisors, the nature of the fiduciary concept, and specific fiduciary duties which should be adhered to by financial advisors. FiduciaryNow also advocates for a better future for all Americans through the application of fiduciary standards of conduct to all providers of financial planning and/or investment advisory services to retail consumers.
FiduciaryNow is edited by Ron A. Rhoades, JD, CFP®, a frequent writer on fiduciary issues. Ron has submitted numerous comment letters to securities industry regulators and organizations on issues involving the application of fiduciary standards of conduct. The February 2008 issue of NAPFA Advisor profiled Ron Rhoades and his efforts to advocate for broader application of fiduciary duties, as a member of NAPFA's Industry Issues Committee. For a reprint of this article, please click here.
Ron A. Rhoades, JD, CFP® graduated with a Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law in 1985. From 2001 to the present, Ron has served as Director of Research and Chief Compliance Officer for Joseph Capital Management, LLC, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm serving individuals and families, trustees of irrevocable trusts, retirement plan service providers, and for-profit and not-for-profit institution.: (www.JosephCapital.com). Ron may be reached via e-mail at info@fiduciarynow.com.
In over 22 years of professional practice as an estate planning and tax attorney and then as a private wealth manager, Ron has seen the abuse suffered by consumers of financial services at the hands of those who fail to put the best interests of the client first and foremost. Ron became involved with investment adviser industry issues in 2004 during the rule-making process dealing with fee-based brokerage accounts. Since then, he has become committed to the application of the fiduciary standard of conduct to all those who provide financial planning and investment advisory services to consumers.
Ron was a panelist at the North American Securities Administrators Association's (NASAA's) 90th Annual Conference (Fall 2007), during which he addressed fiduciary issues and the important role state securities administrators play in applying and enforcing fiduciary standards of conduct. He was the keynote speaker at NASAA Investment Adviser Examiner Training conference in August 2008. Ron has spoken to other groups on fiduciary issues.
Ron is also a frequent speaker on issues involving comprehensive, holistic wealth management. He has been quoted in numerous industry publications, and has had articles published in the Florida Bar Journal as well as been quoted in publications including Fortune, Newsweek, On Wall Street, Investment News, and Compliance Reporter. He is the co-author of the book The Science of Investing: How To Use Academic Research to Reduce Risks and Enhance Returns (2003) and the author of the book Estate Planning for the Florida Resident: Questions and Answers (1995) as well as numerous white papers and articles relating to investment management, portfolio construction, and fiduciary duties.
Ron is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), and served as Reporter for its Fiduciary Task Force (2007-8), as Reporter for its Professional Standards Task Force (2008), and as a member of its Government Relations Committee (2007-8). He is also a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and currently serves on its Board of Directors, with previous service on its Industry Issues Committee and Educational Advisory Task Force. Ron represented NAPFA at the InvestmentNews Regulatory Roundtable as the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in February 2008, and in undertaking presentations to both federal and state securities regulators in Washington, D.C. in recent years on issues relating to the fiduciary duties of investment advisers and financial advisors.
(This site and its contents represent, except where specifically noted, Ron's personal opinions, and are not to be construed as the opinions of any committee or organization to which Ron belongs.)