The mark of a healthy organism is the ability to grow–to evolve over time, adapting to changes in itself and in the environment in which it lives, while maintaining a solid, principled core. Change is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. Investment Advisor has changed, in case you haven’t noticed from our new logo, color palette, and design. It’s not superficial, though appearance is important–good design draws in the reader, while compelling content makes the reader stick around. That’s what our redesign of the magazine–the first since 2000–is meant to accomplish. Using the design talents of our sterling art director, Scott Valenzano, with guidance from the entire editorial department, we’ve hit the mark, I’d argue.
It’s not all about the design. We’ve shifted and strengthened our focus as well. You’ll find a new column by JP Morgan’s Susan Hirshman on wealth management, a new department tracking independent broker/dealers edited by Staff Editor Kate McBride, a doubling to four pages of space committed to retirement planning edited by our Washington Bureau Chief Melanie Waddell, and a monthly Insurance Update. Dotted throughout the magazine is a more liberal use of infographics–short graphics and text boxes that allow you to pick up valuable information without draining your time. We’ll also point you to www.investmentadvisor.com for additional interviews and reports that expand on what we print in the magazine. At our core, though, we’ll keep reporting on the RIA world, covering those companies that partner with you (or would like to) while continuing to showcase the unparalleled practice management insights of Mark Tibergien, the Money Psychology guidance of Olivia Mellan, the wry wisdom of Bob Clark, the multigenerational observations of Angie Herbers, and our industry-leading directories.