Why the FT is launching a publication for investment advisors

Kelly O’Mara of RIABiz writes about the launch of a publication called FA IQ by the Financial Times that is aimed at financial advisors.

O’Mara writes, “Financial Times-owned Money-Media has launched a free online publication aimed at independent financial advisors. Managing editor Joan Warner says that FA IQ, which made its debut April 11, will fill a different niche than Money-Media’s other investment-oriented publications, Ignites and FundFire, with very little cross-over among them. But in a crowded marketplace (which includes RIABiz), competitors are skeptical about the online publication’s chances of finding an audience.

“‘There’s lots of apples and oranges, and if all you come to market with is a different variety of orange, good luck,’ says Jim Lowell, who publishes a newsletter about Fidelity and edits Forbes’ ETF Advisor publication.

“Warner says that FundFire and Ignites, which are subscription-based publications, ‘already have a fairly substantial readership coming from advisors.’ However, FundFire is primarily about separately managed accounts, and Ignites serves the mutual fund industry. ‘Over the years, we just heard a clamoring [from advisors] for a publication of their own.’

“Warner is hoping that FA IQ, which focuses on practice management and client relationships, will meet that need. While other Money-Media publications are all relatively news-focused, FA IQ will do primarily ‘service-y’ articles with a timely element, she says.”

Read more here.