Fist Fight Breaks Out at Financial Planning Conference Over Spelling of Advisor, um Adviser… Don’t Hit Us!

Advisors attending a financial planning conference were buzzing on Sunday after a fist fight broke out between advisors and advisers from two different independent firms. Reportedly, the argument ensued when business cards were exchanged.

Kay Oss, a financial planner from San Diego, was one of the many attendees who witnessed the altercation. She recounted that one Advisor spelled advisor with an “o” and the other Adviser spelled it adviser with an “e” on their business cards.

The adviser made a joke about why the other advisor was attending a financial planning conference since he wasn’t a real “adviser.”

“After that comment, the advisor’s peers from his firm and the adviser’s peers from his firm, got involved and both groups faced off, and the back and forth bantering ensued,” Oss recalled.

One of the advisors in the group quipped that they use the “advisor” spelling because it isn’t the 1930’s anymore. An adviser boasted back that using the “e” spelling meant they held themselves to higher accountability to their clients.

The advisers added that they use the “adviser” spelling in compliance with the SEC spelling. This got a response from one of the advisors saying that they are compliant with SEO common sense and enjoy being on page one rather than page ten on internet searches.

Then one of the advisers told the advisors that if they weren’t a bunch of product pushers, they would understand that the proper spelling is with an “e” and not an “o”.

“When that product pusher comment was made I could see the advisor’s faces became bright red,” said Oss. “This caused other advisor and adviser bystanders to walk over and stand behind the group they agreed with. I was thinking, ‘this is going to turn into a brawl!’” Kay Oss added.

One of the advisors barked back by stating their business is all fee-based advisory. Then one of the advisers responded that even registered reps do mostly fee-based business nowadays so that argument doesn’t hold water. The same advisor dismissed that remark by adding, we provide “advisory” services and you can’t spell advisory with an “e.”

The bantering escalated into fisticuffs between the two. Each landed a punch before their associates and bystanders quickly stepped in and separated them.

Another eyewitness joked that it reminded him of the financial services version of the news reporters gang fight depicted in the movie Anchor Man.

Word quickly spread throughout the conference attendees about the altercation, further dividing the conference into separate “o” and “e” camps.

Neither advisor nor adviser pressed charges and later shook hands.