The Asian Market: Q&A with Aspiriant Co-founder Tim Kochis  

Feb 22, 2012 9:45 AM, By Charles Paikert

Aspiriant found a successful niche serving recent affluent immigrants, and now wants to bring wealth management services directly to Asia. But does an Independent shop stand a chance against global firms?...

Tips on Evaluating Financial Surveys 

Feb 21, 2012 9:29 AM, By Alan Lavine

There is a lot of survey noise out there. Before you believe what you read, take a look at this list. ...

New Focus on Small Workplace Retirement Plans Means Lower Fees, Opportunity for RIAs  

Feb 10, 2012 11:13 AM, By Mark Miller

The spoils of the 401(k) market have always gone to the large players – big retirement plan providers providing the best, most efficient plans to big plan sponsors. But small is starting to look beautiful....

Big Impact: Clients Turn to Socially Responsible Investing  

Feb 8, 2012 8:42 AM, By Charles Paikert

In post-recession America, greed is out. Clients are more open to thinking about values along with profits. So it’s not a surprise that so-called “socially responsible investing (SRI)” funds have grown at a faster rate than assets in the broader market, according to the latest study by the Social Investment Forum. ...

VON ALDO: AMTD Institutional Promotes Bradley, Nally  

Feb 7, 2012 8:58 AM, By Editor-in-Chief, David A. Geracioti

Just two days after the close of iTD Ameritrade Institutional’s annual gabfest, Tom Bradley, the president of the institutional unit, was named head of TD Ameritrade Holdings’ (Ticker: AMTD) retail distribution unit. Succeeding him will be Tom Nally. ...

The Worst College Admission Mistakes 

Feb 3, 2012 4:30 PM, By Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Too many students apply to schools that are way out of their league academically and financially. It's a wasted effort....

Guiding Bewildered IRA Beneficiaries 

Feb 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Kevin McKinley

Advisors can earn their fees and their clients' appreciation by boning up on what can be done with an inherited IRA....

Talk to Her: How to Keep Women Clients  

Feb 1, 2012 10:45 AM, By Kristen French

Women control an increasingly large portion of private wealth. That’s good news for advisors who understand the subtle differences in how men and women communicate. ...

Digital Dangers  

Feb 1, 2012 9:51 AM, By Charles Paikert

Wealth management firms are alarmingly weak on data security. Ironically, it is human vigilance that often keeps the digital crooks at bay....

THE REFORMED BROKER: Scapegoats and Trigger Men  

Feb 1, 2012 9:15 AM, By Joshua Brown

Why do people hire financial advisers? The answer might surprise you. Sometimes they are merely looking for someone to pull the trigger for them when they’re too shell-shocked to invest for themselves. ...

DUE DILIGENCE: Financial Firms Still Get No Love from Public  

Jan 30, 2012 12:18 PM, By Kristen French

By Kristen French Is it the fact that financial services firms are still in the news, still getting whacked with fines and settlements, still seeing fallout from the crisis of a few years ago?...

RIA RISING: Advisors’ Hand Seen in Bigger Gifts To Fidelity Charitable  

Jan 25, 2012 10:41 AM, By Jerry Gleeson

Contributions to Fidelity Charitable, the custodian and discount brokerage’s donor advised fund, hit a record of nearly $2.9 billion last year, the fund says. And the influence of financial advisors in managing their clients’ money appears to be making itself felt as well; ...

Mastering the Mad Scramble for New Clients  

Jan 25, 2012 9:18 AM, By Charles Paikert

The hottest trend in wealth management this year will be business development. This is unfortunate, because a lot of wealth management firms are terrible at developing business....

Five Tips For Private Scholarships  

Jan 24, 2012 9:12 AM, By Lynn O'Shaughnessy

When families start looking to pay for college, some put their hopes in private scholarships – there are an estimated 1.5 million private scholarships out there, though how many are awarded annually is difficult to track. But only in a handful of cases will these make much of a dent in a tuition bill. If your client insists on seeking them out, here are five things they should know:...

Aite Group: What’s in store for 2012  

Jan 23, 2012 9:44 AM, By John Aidan Byrne

Margin pressure, upheaval in advisory business models, lack of certainty in the market – most of the current trends in the wealth management industry can be traced back to the global financial crisis in 2008. Three years after the world fell apart, the industry is still adjusting to the aftershocks....

The Three Deadly Mistakes of Succession Planning 

Jan 20, 2012 10:09 AM, By Jerry Gleeson

Plan ahead to avoid these traps and transition your practice. ...

Guarantee Me 

Jan 19, 2012 4:58 PM, By Stan Luxenberg

Where art thou, mine lifetime income investment?...

Strategies to Enhance Client Relationships  

Jan 18, 2012 8:43 AM, By Charles Paikert

Given the chaotic financial environment of the past few years, innovative wealth management firms see a real business need to improve the softer side of how they interact with clients. ...

Insuring the 100 Year-Old Client 

Jan 17, 2012 9:00 AM, By Alan Lavine

Age expectancies are rising. Are your clients prepared?...

When You're 66 

Jan 13, 2012 9:00 AM, By Mark Miller

A Social Security and Medicare checklist for your clients. ...

Booming Outsourcing Biz Gets Boost From LPL-Fortigent Deal  

Jan 11, 2012 9:00 AM, By Charles Paikert

Add one more winner to last week’s blockbuster LPL-Fortigent deal: the rapidly growing business of providing outsourcing services to wealth managers....

2012 Wealth Management Preview: Fear and Uncertainty Forcing Rethink of Fees and Pricing  

Jan 4, 2012 9:00 AM, By Charles Paikert

How Reverse Mortgages Can Help Your Older Clients 

Jan 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Mark Miller

The reverse mortgage industry is re-focusing on a relatively new lower-cost loan type....

Drawdown Delusion? 

Jan 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Diana Britton

Contrary to popular belief, shifting clients from accumulation to decumulation may boost FA revenues. ...

Reps Face Insurance Challenges in 2012 

Jan 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Alan Lavine

Insurance firms face some major market risks, and financial advisors should look carefully at the financial strength of a firm before selling its products to clients....