Nov 8, 2010
By Kristen French
Merrill Lynch released a new broker recruiting deal a few weeks ago—with two major changes. First, a new hire must now stick around for 14 years instead of nine to get his entire recruiting bonus, and all of the back-end money is now deferred. Second, the firm is now offering recruiting bonuses to fourth quintile advisors....
Nov 5, 2010
By Stan Luxenberg
Companies have had trouble increasing sales. Janus Triton Fund, number one in its class, is finding small-cap companies showing sales growth....
Nov 4, 2010
By Diana Britton
The Dow closed at its highest level since Lehman went broke in 2008. Retail clients, of course, missed out and continue to be scared.. ...
Nov 3, 2010
By Diana Britton and Charles Paikert
If you believe in the “politicians-are-idiots” theory, you’ll love gridlock. After all, the economy and stocks tend to do better under divided government....
Nov 3, 2010
By Diana Britton
Affluent investors still remain conservative in their approach to investing this year, despite the fact that they feel financially better off than a year ago. According to the latest Merrill Lynch Affluent Insights Quarterly, 39 percent of affluent Americans described themselves as having a low investment risk tolerance....
Nov 2, 2010
By Kristen French
Like many large Wall Street broker/dealers before it, RBC is sending a message to advisors who are generating below average revenue: Get your numbers up or take a walk. ...
Nov 1, 2010
By Charles Paikert
M&T Bank Corp. emerged as a major player in the wealth management business this week following the Buffalo-based bank’s agreement to buy Wilmington Trust Corporation for $351 million in stock....
Nov 1, 2010
By Vic Preisser
The heirs of wealthy clients fire their parents' financial advisors 70 percent of the time. Prepare heirs and not just estates. ...
Oct 29, 2010
By Stan Luxenberg
In recent years, the price to earnings multiple for emerging markets has swollen to 15—near the level of the developed world. But some fund managers argue emerging markets deserve still higher valuations. ...
Oct 28, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
Ameriprise’s Advice and Wealth Management business is doing more with less: fewer advisors, higher revenue and profits. ...
Oct 27, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Social networking sites have become a new risk worry for high-net-worth clients, according to a new report from Chubb Group of Insurance Companies....
Oct 27, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Multi-family offices have enjoyed strong growth over the past couple of years, while single-family offices are seeing some improvement, but are nervous about new regulation, according to two new surveys by the Family Wealth Alliance....
Oct 26, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
More investor money is making its way to the management of independent broker/dealer LPL Financial and the retail brokerage TD Ameritrade, the two companies said in earnings reports released today. Trading revenue (excluding asset-based fees and advisory assets), however, was less impressive, with LPL posting modest gains and TDA seeing big declines. (Not surprising, given the overall market conditions.)...
Oct 26, 2010
By John Aidan Byrne
Clients assets at UBS Wealth Management Americas outpaced withdrawals in its latest third-quarter results, as outflows finally stopped, a singular achievement last reported by the brokerage unit in the first quarter of 2009. ...
Oct 25, 2010
By Charles Paikert
In an effort to attract more financial advisors who have--or would like to have--ultra-high net worth clients, Fidelity Investments is offering them the same high-end services it offers to family offices. ...
Oct 21, 2010
By Stan Luxenberg
While bonds may not tank tomorrow, it does seem likely that stock markets will eventually recover at least some of their old gusto. To prepare for the day when the pendulum swings, consider buying fund categories that are suffering outflows....
Oct 20, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
The brokerage business of Wells Fargo of San Francisco, and independent b/d Raymond James Financial Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla., both reported sharply higher year-over-year profits in the third quarter. ...
Oct 20, 2010
By Kristen French
Because of a steep drop in Morgan Stanley's institutional securities business in the third quarter, Global Wealth Management carried the day: it was the firm’s most profitable division for the quarter, earning $281 million. That's up a hair from the year ago $280 million. ...
Oct 20, 2010
By Charles Paikert
The already crowded field of wealth management firms who want to go national is getting more crowded, still. ...
Oct 19, 2010
By Jed Horowitz
IBD supplier turns attention from mass-affluent to HNW investors....
Oct 19, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
Merrill Lynch’s parent, Bank of America, today confirmed what advisors at the brokerage had known about the third quarter—investors kept their money at home, or at least, out of the market. ...
Oct 19, 2010
By Alan Lavine
Tread carefully when you help clients decide what to do with their life insurance proceeds after a loved one dies. The use of a “retained asset account,” one of the most popular methods of taking the money, has come under fire by a host of state and federal regulators....
Oct 18, 2010
Do you want to know how your firm stacks up against others in the industry? How other investment professionals rate their brokerage firms? Fill out Registered Rep.’s Brokerage Report Card confidential survey, and you’ll get an answer! Last few days to participate!...
Oct 15, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Schwab Advisor Services' results suggest the great diaspora of breakaway brokers to Independence Land—either independent b/ds or RIAs—may have climaxed....
Oct 15, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
James Gorman and Sallie Krawcheck said it would be so. With markets stabilizing and bank-brokerage merger integrations progressing, fewer brokers are fleeing the big Wall Street wirehouse firms for the RIAs and independent b/ds in 2010. But those who are leaving tend to have more assets to drag with them. ...
