Practice

Advisors doing business with their buddies may miss the point of being good wealth managers. While you may want to play another round of golf with your clients, you still have to be on top of their financial planning and honest about critical decisions concerning their wealth.

People turning 55 next year will be considered senior citizens and can take advantage of penalty-free distributions from retirement savings plans as long as they meet certain requirements; Plus, how to plan your clients' retirement income to avoid taxes.

Even when holiday lights and light sabers are grabbing for your attention, these tips can help you gain more control of your practice, work smarter and succeed sooner.

Winning over robo advisors doesn’t automatically mean cutting fees. Keep an eye on profit margins, however.

Clients who want to consult after retirement should first tell hiring managers at their own companies that they will be available for such a work arrangement; Plus, when retired clients should consider renting.

An online presence can help build an advisory firm but can hurt a reputation if overused.

Undaunted by the failure of a rider to the federal budget bill, the new legislative initiatives will try to once again strangle the Labor Department fiduciary proposal.

Fired adviser Johnny Burris complained the firm forced him to sell unsuitable products to clients, long before it acknowledged to the SEC it “violated the federal securities laws.”

Since its launch two years ago, Harvest Exchange has signed up 200,000 investors, nearly 25,000 advisors and over 7,000 investment firms.

Before the year comes to a close, advisors should check with clients to ensure they're minimizing tax liabilities.