Practice

How important is naming, branding, promoting and marketing? For some independent advisors who came to independence from larger employee advisor models, you may not have thought as much about your brand in the past. As an independent firm in a growing and increasingly competitive landscape, it’s important to recognize that you are building a brand as much as a business.

A former Morgan Stanley complex manager who felt he was forced to resign is set to receive $1 million in compensatory damages from the firm, according to a new ruling from an arbitration panel.

The agency has asked firms to comment on a proposed rule and some potentially divisive modifications.

For RIAs who want to ensure clients that their firm will endure to serve their children and grandchildren, a robust internal succession plan is critical. One way to do that is to eliminate outside ownership conflicts, argues the founder and CEO of one leading RIA firm.

Yesterday, you carved out time on your calendar to network. Now, it’s time to pick up the phone and start dialing.

The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index gained some traction after a big decline in November.

“It’s a good time to be an advisor,” said IRA Expert Ed Slott. “There’s a tremendous opportunity now because you have certainty.”

The impact of last week’s tax accord in Congress -- officially known as the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 -- is likely to be far wider and more complex than many have imagined. And many of these complexities will directly impact financial advisors.

Wall Street brokers who are lured to new firms with signing bonuses of at least $50,000 would be required to tell their clients under a rule proposed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

In the wake of the newly-passed American Tax Relief Act of 2012, it’s likely many wealthy clients will continue to make large family gifts. If they are giving away hard-to-value assets, they might consider following a tactic from the Wandry case, decided by the Tax Court in 2012.