Lee Conrad

People underestimate the chances of dying from likely causes, like heart failure, while overestimating the chances of dying from an unlikely cause, like murder. This can cause big mistakes in retirement planning.

Deciding when to claim Social Security is one of the biggest financial decisions your clients will ever make and you need to be able to frame the discussion properly in order to help.

New skills and new training are necessary for advisors to succeed in today's market, but banks and broker-dealers have not made it a top priority.

Despite some bright spots, the bank channel has some surprising areas in need of improvement, according survey findings unveiled at the annual review-and-preview at this week's BISA conference.

There are a number of good sessions scheduled for the BISA conference this week. Here are a few that piqued our interest.

Bank Investment Consultant is compiling its ranking of the best program managers in the bank channel. Be sure to get your nominations in.

FINRA barred Fernando Arevalo and Jimmy Caballero, two brokers at JPMorgan Chase Securities, for stealing $300,000 from an elderly widow with diminished mental capacity.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management made two senior hires in Boston and San Diego that are part of its recruiting campaign to increase its sales force by 50% by the end of next year.

Advisors in the field, or those who cover multiple bank branches, will be able to electronically transport clients’ documents in an easier format.

Since the crisis, this segment has focused on paying its debt, but now it’s investing for retirement again. The kicker: just 40% use advisors.

Change is coming faster than ever for the bank channel with disruptive technologies and social media altering the landscape in banking and elsewhere. Here are some ways to keep up and enhance your presence online.

The move is part of BNY’s previously announced plans to expand its nationwide sales force by 50% over the next 18 months.

The new appointments are part of a larger initiative by the bank to grow market share in local markets from Maine to Florida.

The Midwestern community bank has plans to increase its program to seven or eight advisors over the next couple of years.

According to the new arrangement, Raymond James will send one advisor to join the bank to represent the program to clients and prospects at several locations.

The bank trust channel is an important one despite a modest growth outlook.

Is bank management on the same page as you? And what can you do to help keep your book of business strong?

The best bank managers and best wirehouse managers have a lot in common. While each has the distinct flavor of their respective channels, they are very similar in spirit.

Wealth management, broadly speaking, is seeing impressive growth. But “broadly speaking” is a frustratingly vague term and most of your clients are not among the economic winners of late.

Licensed branch employees represent a significant opportunity that many banks have not tapped to its full potential, according to LPL's Rob Comfort.