Elite advisors have attained success not just by growing for growth’s sake, but growing in the right way. This paper will show you how elite advisors—those in the top one-third of firms as measured by a composite metric of annual revenues and growth rates—have found success creating the “right” firm and how you can incorporate those same strategies into your own practice.

Making the change from a traditional broker-dealer model to full independence with the registered investment advisor model introduces a number of considerations. The registered investment advisor (RIA) model can not only offer you greater choice and flexibility, but also greater responsibility. Learn more about the RIA model, how it compares to a captive-hybrid or bank/brokerage environment and get an overview on the role of the RIA custodian. This report is designed to help you find out for yourself what a move to independence can involve—and learn from those who made the change.

For financial advisors, social media represents a powerful addition to traditional marketing and networking activities. With the right strategy in place, social networking can be an important tool for both client acquisition and retention, enabling you to enhance brand awareness, deepen existing client relationships and find prospects and convert to clients.

Do you think becoming an independent RIA may be a good fit for you? If so, what does it take to successfully make the move? To help you address these important questions, TD Ameritrade Institutional recently conducted interviews with executives at two newly formed RIA firms who shared their experiences on transitioning from a wirehouse environment to the independent RIA channel.

Are you concerned that gold prices are in a "bubble?" Read the latest Investment Viewpoints from American Century Investments®, The Investment Outlook for Gold and Gold Company Stocks, to learn about American Century's perspective on the current state of the gold market. In this timely whitepaper, American Century Senior Portfolio Manager, Bill Martin discusses: Debunking the notion that gold prices are in a "bubble", factors driving demand for gold going forward and relative attractiveness of gold company stocks and the role gold plays in a diversified portfolio.

Take Action Now! On December 17, 2010 the Tax Reform Act of 2010 (“the Act”) was signed by President Obama. The Act is a veritable estate planner’s ‘wish list’ of gift and estate tax provisions. The Act provides wealthy individuals and married couples, with dramatically increased gift and estate tax exemption amounts. In addition the Act includes a number of provisions designed to provide portability of the increased exemption amounts. Read this white paper to learn more about the scope and impact of the Act.

Learn how 3000+ marketing professionals evaluate themselves and their strategic initiatives. This study drives some alarming pain points home — including how many marketers are less than satisfied with the performance of their website, social, search marketing and sales conversion efforts. Get your copy of this valuable study today.

What is driving the tremendous growth in the independent broker/dealer channel and should you consider getting on board? While independence can provide advisors and their clients with many advantages, choosing the right business model for you involves careful consideration of the practical and emotional aspects that come with any career move. This guide will provide you with insight on the advantages of establishing an independent practice along with valuable information to help you determine the right practice affiliation, focus, and fee model for your business.

This insightful 39-page brief highlights and condenses all 16 Titles contained in the complete 1,000-page Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Get your copy of this valuable document today.

Complex regulatory reforms combined with unprecedented enforcement by the Department of Labor is forcing every broker dealer and producer to reassess how they should engage—or not engage—with ERISA clients. Download this complimentary white paper now.

This paper will discuss the anatomy of trust and examine research that analyzes the qualities required to earn trust. In addition, strategies and best practices for establishing client trust contributed by advisors who custody with TD Ameritrade Institutional will be shared and thoughts on how advisors can be more intentional in exhibiting trustworthy behaviors. Download this comprehensive white paper now.

At minimum, every advisor should have a personalized, written emergency continuity plan. And the best, most complete solution is a funded continuity and succession plan backed by emergency on-site support in the event of a challenge to business continuity. Download this comprehensive white paper which takes an in depth look at business continuity and succession planning.

One of the most significant factors impacting the investment landscape over the past 18 months has been the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. Fiscal stress in a number of eurozone countries has weighed on the global economy, put pressure on the banking sector, and roiled financial markets worldwide. Download this white paper which includes a look at how the crisis has unfolded, what is likely to happen next, and what that means from an investment perspective.

A subset of advisory firms, identified as “Top Performers” by the 2010 “InvestmentNews/Moss Adams Financial Performance Study of Advisory Firms,” were actually able to grow revenues and margins and restrain costs while bringing in sufficient new assets to outpace market losses during these past two years. The study data suggests the strong financial and operational performance of these top firms is the result of multiple factors. TD Ameritrade Institutional collaborated with the InvestmentNews Custom Research Team to write this white paper, addressing the key drivers of performance among top firms in the hope it will provide a framework for potential success for the advisory business in coming years. This paper will explore ownership, strategic focus, productivity and culture.

This Behavioral Guide is intended to serve as an introductory framework for advisors so that they can improve the financial performance of their investor clients with a behavioral approach. We will demonstrate in practical terms how advisors can apply behavioral concepts in guiding and communicating with their clients to more confidently make investment decisions. Download this comprehensive whitepaper, which contains information that is based on research that has been independently validated since 1999 by a highly qualified team with 80+ years of combined academic and practical profile development experience.

Confused about the differences between registered reps and RIAs—and the standard of care they think they deserve from each when managing their investment portfolios? If so, you’re not alone. With the constant development of new products from the b/d community, the line between offering fee based advice (and having to act in a fiduciary capacity) and suggesting investments that are deemed suitable for a client can become blurred. A report by The RAND Institute for Civil Justice found that 63% of investors believe registered reps are required to act in the best interests of the client (they aren’t), and 70% believe that registered reps must disclose any conflicts of interest (generally, they don’t). Download this important white paper to learn how the regulatory changes that are currently being discussed will impact the way you conduct business in the future.

Is it worth it to take on investment risk to reach financial goals? Is staying on the sidelines really risk-free? At American Century Investments, we believe a smart risk-taking approach can help investors better manage risk and develop a plan to be rewarded for the risk they take. Download the Smart Risk Taking White Paper which examines how the financial crisis changed investing habits, directly affecting an investor's ability to achieve their financial goals and learn how investors can pursue a smart risk-taking approach.

A strong marketing plan can be essential to business success, allowing you to capitalize on your strengths, focus on your highest potential clients and relationships, and deliver your message effectively. A successful marketing plan achieves these goals in a manner designed to increase both practice productivity and profitability.

The SEC proposes that 2014 be the first year for US registered companies to file their financial statements in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) format. This white paper covers how to effectively managing this upcoming transition to IFRS. You will learn how to form the IFRS transition team, set the roles of the IFRS project team members and use your enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to manage this transition.

Recent studies show that Advisors who have adopted a comprehensive Wealth Management practice versus a transaction-oriented model enjoy a higher rate of income. This white paper explores how a disciplined approach to a consultative Wealth Management sales process can lead to increased client satisfaction and increased productivity.

Check out this whitepaper to learn how 3 different firms are embracing technology to help broaden client relationships, and grow both assets under management (AUM) and revenues. These stories featuring Altfest Personal Wealth Management, Fairlane Investment Advisors, Inc., and World Equity Group show how you can introduce the concept of advising and billing on retirement assets to clients, and how the actual mechanics of generating invoices and receiving payment works.

Inflation has dominated conversation in the investment world recently as analysts and market participants consider the impact of the financial crisis in 2008. In this paper, we examine the competing forces at work that will affect inflation for the months and years to come. Download this comprehensive white paper which includes an analysis of inflation-hedging assets in different market environments, and suggested strategies for protecting your portfolio from inflation risk.

This white paper produced by TD Ameritrade Institutional and Registered Rep. examines the results of a recent Advisor Evolution research study that shows how switching firms can be a unique opportunity to strengthen client relationships and take an advisor’s practice to a higher level, particularly for advisors who became independent RIAs. Download this comprehensive white paper which includes an analysis of inflation-hedging assets in different market environments, and suggested strategies for protecting your portfolio from inflation risk.