Charles Paikert

Three new reports suggest that the wealth management industry still needs improvement — and hint at a slowdown after recent growth.

A NAPFA membership rule change has provoked criticism for the way the decision was reached and communicated.

While a new report on multifamily offices finds big growth industrywide -- nearly 10% asset growth in 2011, the last year cited -- family office executives said a "primary growth constraint" was the ability to hire dedicated business development professionals.

Should financial advisors leave their smaller accounts behind when they switch firms?

Industry veteran Steve Dunlap, who previously held two top jobs at Bank of New York Mellon, is joining Cetera Financial Group as executive vice president, wealth management.

Increasing emphasis on client satisfaction may be changing the way wealth managers get paid and how they are evaluated.

Claiming the next generation of clients and standing out from the crowd are very much on advisors’ minds, but they’re still grappling with how to deal with those two critical issues.

Government policy is becoming a more prominent topic of conversation between financial advisors and their clients, according to a recent study as well as anecdotal reports -- and remarks by the Federal Reserve chairman last week on the future of the Fed’s stimulus policy have spurred even more discussions about government policy.

Thinking of working for a family office? First look under the hood – and into the mirror.

Seven financial advisors had their right to use the Certified Financial Planning certification marks permanently revoked in March as part of a series of public disciplinary actions announced by the CFP Board this week.

More than 60% of high-net-worth clients expressed a high degree of trust in both their wealth managers and their firms, according the World Wealth Report 2013, but a majority prefer to work with a single firm to “manage all of their financial needs."

Scottrade emerged as the top-rated firm in J.D. Power & Associates 2013 U.S. Self-Directed Investor Satisfaction Study, but overall investor satisfaction with self-directed firms declined from last year.

Networking and a hands-on approach to learning about investing, running the family business and entrepreneurship are the best ways to attract and retain next generation clients, according to the head of one of the industry’s most successful and longest-running Next Gen programs.

Advisors with at least some technology integration can perform a whole lot better than RIAs with none, according to a report from Aite Group, the Boston-based research and consulting company.

“Nothing I did in the last five years had anything to do with selling on a commission basis,” he told Financial Planning.

Commonwealth Financial Network, the nation’s largest privately held independent broker-dealer, named Rich Hunter president and chief operating officer on Friday and also announced new affiliation models for its nearly 1,500 financial advisors.

SpringReef Partners, a consulting firm specializing in evaluating wealth mangers for high and ultrahigh net-worth clients, has been acquired by Aronson, an accounting and consulting firm based in Rockville, Md.

Advisors are wary of BNY Mellon's plan to provide private banking services to RIAs.

The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., wealth management firm announced Monday it will acquire Silver Bridge Advisors of Boston, forming a $3.4 billion RIA to join the growing list of independent advisory firms hoping to establish a national footprint.

The rich are different from everyone else: They may need different insurance policies.