Schwab Institutional Nov. 6–8Washington Convention Center

The Industry

investment planning and asset management

The Attendees

1,650 independent financial advisers who know that money can buy happiness

The Issues

•Profit From Nonprofits: Discussing creative financing for self-promotional client events, a speaker suggested hooking up with charities. Potential benefits: speakers waive fees, news media provide free advertising, and caterers might even let you bring in your own wine to reduce expenses. Said the speaker: “Did I say I was cheap?”

•Golden Oldies: Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave and author of The Power Years: A User’s Guide to the Rest of Your Life, divided seniors into segments: “ageless explorers,” with boundless energy and love of adventure; the “comfortably content,” who want to relax; “live for todays,” who never saved and thus can’t retire; and “sick and tireds,” whose moniker is self-explanatory.

•Econ Icon: Freakonomics author Steven D. Levitt, the “Indiana Jones of economics,” related an anecdote: Having offered to pay a prostitute her hourly rate to speak to his class, he was chagrined when she told students she had just raised her rate by $100, explaining that the hike was in response to Levitt’s suggestion to charge enough to feel happy about one’s work. “Prostitutes are more willing to learn than are CEOs,” he concluded.—Rob Tierney