Yesterday, after a video featuring Chuck Schwab himself, Bernie Clark welcomed more than 2,000 advisors to Charles Schwab's 27th annual Impact conference, this time at McCormick Place in Chicago. Clark, head of Schwab Advisor Services, then brought Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger onto the stage for an unscripted audience Q&A session.

Bettinger and Clark were followed by a keynote session featuring Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs. Impact attendees were surprised that Ebeling showed up by video, not in person. The rumor is that the Schwab team found out a few weeks ago that Ebeling wouldn't show, so they tried to get a certain famous academic to take Ebeling's place, an academic who could've easily made the trip. That academic, now a Nobel-winner, had many months earlier requested keynote spot but had been turned down by Schwab; so when they came back, the academic returned the favor.

Also yesterday at Impact, famed author Michael Lewis took to the main stage. He stuck around after the session to meet RIAs and sign copies of his latest book, the Undoing Project.

Today is the final full day of Impact 2017 (the conference wraps up at lunch time tomorrow). After breakfast, Clark will return to the main stage along with Jon Beatty, senior vice president of advisor service sales and relationship management at Schwab, to present the 12th annual Impact Awards to exemplary RIAs. Then Joshua Cooper Ramo, vice chairman of Kissinger Associates, will deliver a keynote speech. This afternoon, former United Kingdom prime minister David Cameron is scheduled to take the main stage. And for the big final party tonight, R&B artist Leon Bridges will make an appearance. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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