Paula Vasan

Financial advisors who use active management may have a lower-cost option when considering actively managed ETFs – but some advisors express doubts on the real value for clients.

While some financial advisors can be intentionally vague when detailing embedded risks to clients, others do not fully understand the risks themselves, says the author of a new book that looks at the "incestuous" relationship between Wall Street, Washington and regulatory agencies.

A new report finds that advisors, investors and financial providers have been using the term inconsistently -- and perhaps incorrectly.

While the landscape for low-cost fund options for do-it-yourselfers is expanding, John Bogle, founder and retired CEO of the Vanguard Group, believes DIY product offerings are too often inappropriate for long-term investors, who are at risk of being led astray.

Quiet and peaceful Valley Forge-Pa. is not a place where one would expect to find one of the most successful financial businesses in history — a far cry from the hurry and shuffle of Wall Street. But Vanguard's home there speaks volumes about its ability to maintain its reputation as the lowest-cost provider of mutual funds and ETFs since John Bogle founded the company in 1974.

The Financial Services Institute, a trade group representing independent broker-dealers and advisors, has elected two new IBD execs to its 2014 board.

One planner says the strategy helps him connect with younger generations, avoid portfolio liabilities and improve transparency. Here are his suggestions.

Here are some of the smartest things heard -- and tweeted -- from Tuesday's conference hosted by financial advisors and bloggers Barry Ritholtz and Josh Brown in New York City.

The financial advisors and bloggers -- who recently launched an RIA, Ritholtz Wealth Management -- will host their fourth annual Big Picture Conference Tuesday in New York City.

The firm advises 119 families and has $540 million in assets under management.

Assets under management and state-registration among RIAs are up this year, with Dodd-Frank Act requirements resulting in a major industry shift.

Beverly Hills Wealth Management has launched an internal asset management division with the addition of the emerging McComsey Asset Management, with $30 million in assets under management, to help attract a greater number of breakaway brokers.

A new report gives added ammunition to the champions of passive investing.

Although Annapolis, Md., advisor Mike Scarborough's traditional services have long included investment management, retirement income management, estate planning and risk management, Scarborough says it was his focus on 401(k) and 403(b) savings plan management services (for clients participating in company-sponsored retirement plans) that helped set his firm apart.

Eight ideas for clients thinking of retiring to exotic locales.

In an effort to help attract a new generation of financial advisors, TD Ameritrade Institutional has awarded $50,000 in scholarships to 10 financial planning undergraduate students from around the country. The goal: attract new talent to the industry as the current generation of older advisors near retirement.

The RIA channel is set to be a source of headcount growth, while the wirehouses and broker-dealer channels are expected to be the biggest losers, according to Cerulli Associates’ most recent study -- but there’s a silver lining for RIAs.

Laif Meidell discusses market volatility and how advisors and investors can benefit from taking on a more defensive portfolio position.

Here are five pieces of advice that advisors should keep in mind when going through a merger.

From improving communication with clients to placing a bigger emphasis on risk management, advisors share how they’re navigating the rebounding market environment and how their practices have evolved as a result of hard lessons learned during the financial meltdown of 2008.