Charles Paikert

"There's still an employee mentality, even if an advisor is the founder or principal of a firm," says Stratos CEO Jeff Concepcion.

Working on family governance can be a slow process, but both clients and their advisors benefit - with clients having peace of mind and advisors providing a premium value-add for high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Working on family governance can be a slow process, but both clients and their advisors benefit - with clients having peace of mind and advisors providing a premium value-add for high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Securities America and Triad, both divisions of Ladenburg Thalmann, slapped for "failing to supervise the use of consolidated reporting systems resulting in statements with inaccurate valuations being sent to customers."

Family office execs report a rise in direct investments and so-called club deals as hedge funds fall out of favor. ''Families want to be in control," says one consultant.

Your wealthy client wants to sell his or her business. What can you do to help plan properly for this major liquidity event?

Your wealthy client wants to sell his or her business. What can you do to help plan properly for this major liquidity event?

'The average deal was a $1 billion or more RIA buying a mid- or smaller-size firm, a classic tuck-in,' says Jonathan Beatty of Schwab Advisor Services.

"We're seeing more inquiries like this," says Dynasty president and CEO Shirl Penney. "As the opportunity presents itself, we think more teams will see the advantage of joining to achieve scale, size and get more bang for their buck."

“Executives today don’t want a higher position so much as a broader position," says Kathy Freeman. "They want to be stretched and challenged, and they want an opportunity to grow."

'There will be absolutely no pressure to sell any of our products,' says RCS chairman Nicholas Schorsch, who built a fortune on nontraded REITs but has recently been acquiring several big independent B-Ds.

For RCS advisors and brokers, the sweet spot will be individuals and families with $300,000 to $3 million in investable assets, Schorsch says.

RCS Capital wants to buy an investment research firm, an RIA and a family office -- and hold a major industry event modeled on Charles Schwab's annual Impact conference.

Firm's partners say they wanted 'control of our destiny -- we wanted to own our own equity.'

While traditional active management is likely to continue to be "the core" of asset management, passive and alternative strategies are on track for faster growth, according to PwC's new report.

John Lindsey, who left Edward Jones in 2012 and won a FINRA arbitration case against his former firm last summer, has launched The Bold Advisor to provide support, guidance and information to breakaway advisors.

Hot on the heels of record revenues for 2013, LPL plans to repurchase nearly 2 million shares from one its largest shareholders.

"The timing is right to fully integrate our new wealth management offering into our Global Asset Allocation and PI divisions," a Fidelity spokesman says.

The country's largest independent broker-dealer attracts 110 net new advisors in the fourth quarter.

The Fed's tapering policy will likely result in a moderate rise in interest rates accompanied by modest equity returns, according to one investment strategist.