Jan 7, 2011
By Kristen French
Initial signs suggest few changes to broker pay in 2011, but that could all change on Jan. 21....
Jan 6, 2011
By Diana Britton
Outflows from municipal bond mutual funds are likely to continue for the next few months, given municipalities' budget problems. But, after a strong 2010, retail investors are wading back into stock funds. ...
Jan 5, 2011
By Mindy Diamond
So you're unhappy at your current firm. But how unhappy? Quantifying the pain can be difficult, but it’s essential if you're actually considering doing something about it. That’s because leaving can be painful, too. Here’s a starting point. The following is a list of some of the pain points advisors who want to leave their firm often describe to me. Do any of these sound familiar? ...
Jan 5, 2011
By Charles Paikert
The ultra-wealthy are still pretty risk averse, according to a recent survey by the Institute for Private Investors, a membership organization for ultra-high-net worth individuals and families. But they may begin increasing allocations to global emerging markets and reducing cash in 2011. ...
Jan 4, 2011
By Lauren Barack
“We’ll probably see, especially now, clients less interested in investments and more interested in managing cash.So [software] solutions that do more than just spit out an investment [idea], but also a debt management and emergency cash reserves will be potentially desirable.”...
Jan 1, 2011
By Jerry Gleeson
Kids of wealthy parents almost always fire their parents' advisors after they inherit the money. They also tend to fail to meet their financial goals. There are many reasons why. Here are some ways to keep their business....
Jan 1, 2011
By Lynn O’Shaughnessy
Here are some strategies for navigating the system. ...
Dec 31, 2010
By Diana Britton
LPL Investment Holdings stands to take advantage of growth in the independent retail brokerage sector in the next three to five years, as the only publicly-traded company in this sphere, wrote Brad Hintz, senior analyst at BernsteinResearch, in a Dec. 28 research report. Still, he believes the company faces some hurdles on the road to long-term double-digit earnings growth. ...
Dec 30, 2010
By Brad Zigler
Investors always have to ask themselves if their notions are timely, but with gold, it's especially critical. Is it just too late in gold's bull market...
Dec 29, 2010
By Anne Field
Have you thought seriously about when and how you're going to retire? And who'll take over the practice? You haven't? Well, you're in good company. A...
Dec 28, 2010
By Stan Luxenberg
Although they make up a third of the market’s total capitalization, mid caps only account for 15 percent of the assets in equity mutual funds....
Dec 21, 2010
By Lauren Barack
Concerns about using mobile devices in financial planning are heard throughout the field. Nonetheless, reps have taken to handhelds and tablets as quickly as they’ve appeared on the market, particularly the iPad, whose adoption by reps is sure to increase in 2011. ...
Dec 20, 2010
By Diana Britton
Despite uncertainty surrounding new regulatory reform, registered investment advisors are reinvesting in their firms, especially in their staff, according to a recent survey conducted by TD Ameritrade Institutional. ...
Dec 17, 2010
By Philip Palaveev
Focusing on clients and growth is the natural instinct of our industry. Still, before we turn the page to a new year, we all have to make sure that we have brought to conclusion all the open items from this one. ...
Dec 16, 2010
By Charles Paikert
New York City will be the cornerstone of U.S. Bank’s east coast wealth management build-up, according to Heidi Steiger, who was appointed Atlantic region president of the bank’s Private Client Reserve unit earlier this month....
Dec 16, 2010
By Diana Britton
Up until this month, analysts at Morningstar have noticed a divergence between individual investors, who have been gung ho for bonds, and money managers, who have mostly been bullish on equities—and bearish on bonds. ...
Dec 15, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
Mike Ross, a portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney who oversees $500 million with a partner, now has a new role: wirehouse blogger. In recent weeks, Ross has been writing short items on Advisor Insight, MSSB’s new in-house web network....
Dec 15, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Look for more customization and consolidation in the multi-family office business in 2011, say industry executives. ...
Dec 14, 2010
By Diana Britton
This time of year, Charles Zhang, an independent advisor with Zhang Financial, is typically bombarded with holiday gifts from mutual fund wholesalers. But that’s not the case this season. According to Zhang, the Christmas gifts as well as marketing support from such firms as Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors have been thin. ...
Dec 14, 2010
By Charles Paikert
California truly is the Golden State, at least according to the latest statistics released by Wealth-X, a New York-based research and consulting firm for private wealth managers. Quite simply: That's where the money is....
Dec 13, 2010
By Susan Konig
Mass industry consolidation has left a large number of wirehouse BOMs without a seat in an ongoing game of musical chairs. But as the independent broker/dealer (IBD) and RIA channels grow, they are creating a viable market for those displaced managers, say industry sources. ...
Dec 10, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
The head of Wells Fargo & Co. is reportedly interested in expanding the firm’s wealth business, possibly through acquisition. ...
Dec 9, 2010
By Diana Britton
While most clients say they are ready and willing to provide a referral for their financial advisors, a lot of them are not actually following through on it, according to a recent report released by Advisor Impact, Charles Schwab Advisor Services, and researchers at Texas Tech University, who surveyed advisors’ clients. ...
Dec 8, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Bank of New York Mellon Wealth Management will open a new office in Dallas early next year, and is also looking to expand in Florida, Southern California and the Washington, D.C. metro markets, according to chief executive Larry Hughes....
Dec 8, 2010
By Philip Palaveev
If the cobbler’s kids run around barefoot, the financial advisor’s kids may be a little nervous about their college funds right now. A surprising number of financial advisors are not prepared financially for a year that likely will bring significant declines in revenue and therefore personal income. ...
