Industry

The Ensemble Practice's annual growth and profitability report reveals a "scissors shape" between the two, based on a survey of more than 170 firms.

Retaining Bartholomew & Company comes as a big victory in LPL's bid to hold on to AUM and advisors from its acquisition last year of Commonwealth Financial Network.

Even though RIAs reached a record size in four important metrics, experts say equity values are masking weaknesses in their organic growth.

Women pursuing career milestones like opening their own RIAs could fall into traps based on those comparisons — or use them as inspiration and research.

Financial Planning's "Starting an RIA" book contains 30 chapters that help financial advisors from the launch of a firm to successful exits.

Many clients avoid consolidating their assets at a single firm because they don't want the hassle. Advisors say it's important when to know not only when they're most likely to want to move assets, but also what to say.

BNY Pershing declined to state the size and fees of its clearing and custody business with RIAs and other wealth management firms. But that's hardly unique in a channel of the industry with shrinking margins.

Some advisors say they already have a hard enough time explaining what a fiduciary is under federal law and that NAPFA's new definition for fee-only planners will only add to the confusion.

Gary Carrai draws on his previous experiences as a financial advisor to recognize what sorts of technical advances are most likely to be useful to LPL advisors and clients — and how much change they can tolerate at once.