Legal Use & Guidelines
Here are answers to many of the common “legal use” questions I receive from members of Client Memos written in plain English.
If anything is unclear, please reach out to me directly by email or using the “Contact Us” form at the bottom of this page and I will provide an answer as well as update this page to add additional clarity.
#1. Can I post the Client Memos to my blog?
No. Client Memos are NOT allowed to be posted to any blog in any form whatsoever under any circumstances.
Regardless of whether the memo has been modified, edited, and/or shortened in any way, they are not to be posted publicly anywhere. This is for the protection of exclusivity for each and every member.
As an FYI and fair warning, we run periodic plagiarism searches to verify compliance in this regard. Anyone in breach of this requirement will have their membership immediately canceled and may be subject to legal action.
If you observe any violation of this or any other rule noted, please be encouraged to let me know so that I may take swift action. Thank you in advance.
#2. Can I post the Client Memos to social media or link to them in my podcast notes?
No. Same rules as #1.
If our Client Memos are “Googleable” in any way, it is not allowed.
Additionally, in the “spirit of the law,” even if the particular text is not technically indexed by Google, posting any piece of our memos into the public sphere (e.g. blogs, social media, YouTube, etc…) in any form (video, podcast, written form, or otherwise) is explicitly prohibited.
Thus—as we state in every single memo's legal language—the only acceptable use of the written words in our Client Memos is for use in your private communications ONLY. (With the sole exception of our visuals as noted below in #4.)
#3. Can I use the Client Memos to start a LinkedIn, Substack, or Beehiiv newsletter?
No. LinkedIn, Substack and Beehiiv newsletters are all indexed by Google and are, essentially, public-facing blogs.
Again, any platform (regardless of whether it’s specifically noted here) that is indexed by Google is explicitly prohibited.
#4. Can I post the Visuals (and ONLY the visuals) on my blog or on social media?
Yes.
There are no limitations whatsoever for the use of the visuals themselves. You may brand the visuals with your firm logo. You may post them on social media, print them to hang in your office, write a 100% original blog post with the visual as an aid in the post, put them on coffee mugs, or do anything else you can think of.
Lastly, you do not need to provide any attribution, mention, or credit to Money Visuals whatsoever when using the visuals in whatever way you choose to use them.
#5. When posting to social media, what is allowed?
Given that this has been a continued area of confusion, I want to be clear about what is allowed.
If you are sharing a visual on social media, ALL language accompanying that image must be original to you.
It is explicitly against our policy to include quotes or snippets from any Client Memo in any publicly available communications, whether that is on social media, a blog, podcast, or any other medium.
This prohibition includes the use of our memos as a “script” for videos, podcasts, or any other medium in which our content will be made available for public consumption.
You are welcome to write content that is original to you while using the visual as an aid, but it must be 100% original copy.
#6. Can I post the “Charts” from the “Charts Memos” to social media or my blog?
The “charts” within our “charts memos” are the intellectual property of those who created them and not the property of Money Visuals. Thus, it’s up to you to follow the rules from each specific source.
It’s generally a best practice to provide explicit attribution and a direct hyperlink to the chart owner when using it in your communications.
That said, Money Visuals cannot be held liable in any way for your use (proper or improper) of the charts included within our “Charts Memos.”
The only rule regarding the charts from the perspective of Money Visuals is that you may not use the language that accompanies each chart within our memos anywhere in the public sphere (whether indexed or not) in any form (written, video, or voice) whatsoever.
Once again, our language is for use in your private communications ONLY.
#7. How can I write effective “Calls to Action” to grow my newsletter while staying compliant?
One option is simply to say something to the effect of:
“In this week’s Client Memo, we wrote about XYZ and offered our perspective for why it matters (or doesn’t). To be sure you get the next issue, subscribe here.”
Or write a brief (in your words) description of the Client Memo you shared. As long as it’s in your words, it’s okay. Just be mindful of what’s shared.
If somebody would like to read that particular issue, that’s great. Offer to email them a copy. :)
If you think you’ve passed the point of “allowable” in what you’ve written, you probably have. Follow the rule of thumb below.
#8. A good “rule of thumb” if you’re looking for guidance about a situation that is not specifically addressed here:
If you are questioning whether or not some action is okay regarding the use of MV content, my recommendation would be to refrain from sharing.
The secondary option is to reach out to me directly for additional clarity.
#9. Can more than one advisor use my Client Memo membership?
It depends. We address this issue as follows: One client base per subscription. If a group of advisors serves one distinct client base, then only one subscription is required. If advisors are serving their own distinct client bases, then each client base (advisor/team) requires its own subscription.
Please note: I have no way of verifying this and therefore rely on the honor system. This business is my livelihood and I hope that the quality of people this membership attracts will respect this rule.
#10. Can I provide attribution to Money Visuals for this content?
Yes.
However, it is NOT required by Money Visuals as this content is specifically designed to be sent under your own name which is what offers you the option to send as-is or to edit to your liking and voice.
It’s our belief that your clients desire to hear from you which is why they hired you.
If written permission to use this material without attribution is requested, please consider this your express written consent to share our Client Memo writing directly (and privately) with your clients and prospects under your own name only.
If attribution is required by your firm, please include the following or similar language to comply with your compliance department within your disclosures.
“Material provided by Money Visuals, LLC and is being used with consent.”
#11. Is MV content approved or reviewed by FINRA?
No. It is up to you, the member, to obtain the necessary compliance approval for use of our content. MV is not liable in any way for any violation of any regulatory or firm-specific compliance rules.
#12. Who owns the MV content?
Every piece of content (whether written or visual in nature) within this membership is owned wholly and exclusively by Money Visuals, LLC. Current members only are granted a temporary license to use our work in their communications within approved guidelines as noted here and elsewhere on our site so long as they continue to be paying members of Money Visuals.
Additional Legal Notes:
Money Visuals cannot be held liable in any way for the use of our material.
All information on this website has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation.
Links are being provided for information purposes only. Money Visuals LLC is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize, or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Money Visuals is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.
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Past performance may not be indicative of future results.