Practice

New tools to help bank advisors are getting top billing at LPL Financial's annual Focus Conference. But a key new hire to help in those efforts may not be announced officially until the three-day conference is over.

When Irvine, Calif.-based planner Winnie Sun jumped from Smith Barney to LPL Financial about 18 months ago, a major factor driving the move was her new firm's support of social media.

In a surprise move, incoming National Association of Personal Financial Advisors Chairman, Ron Rhoades, said that because of a compliance violation by his firm he will not be assuming the helm of the advocacy group on September 1 as anticipated.

Merrill Lynch has hired a two-member advisor team who previously managed more than $1 billion at Wells Fargo's Abbot Downing business.

The nuances of advising widows and divorcees require a more tailored approach to investment planning.

JHS Capital Advisors, a Tampa, Fla., based registered securities broker-dealer and registered investment advisor, continued its national expansion when it announced Monday it hired Steven R. Lofquist as a first vice president and a financial advisor.

Advisor-owned financial services firm HighTower has snapped up a Credit Suisse advisor team with about $1 billion in assets under management, marking the eighth team to move to the firm this year.

How might the world have been different if, starting 10 years ago, every would-be home buyer had access to a free and independent tool that showed them - in highly personalized and granular detail - precisely what they could and could not have afforded to buy? Would there have been a real estate crash at all?

Marketing expert Marie Swift says basic seminars are no longer a client magnet. Successful financial planners must be educators, networkers, and online trailblazers. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Chris Kirby says financial advisors often become hostages of their own "to-do" lists. That's why it's so important to create and adhere to a list of things that you're not going to handle so you can focus on the most important (and revenue-generating) tasks.