Practice

Also this month in our disciplinary digest, a now-barred 'problem broker' for Stifel lands his former firm another hefty settlement, and an advisor is accused of fraud for trying to poach clients from his old firm.

Even with the money to retire early, FIRE clients often face unexpected challenges. Advisors say mindset — more than finances — is often the real hurdle.

While stock values get the most attention after the Fed cuts rates, they affect trusts, too. Some beneficiaries of entities without flexible distribution provisions could take a big hit.

In a lengthy court reply, advisors who left Merrill this week to form an RIA with Dynasty Financial Partners accuse Merrill of "bad faith" for putting them on administrative leave and failing to reinvest in their business.

At 50, a Seattle-based financial professional has the means to retire by 60. Advisors say the plan is realistic, but one significant challenge stands out.

Also this week, Raymond James draws from Commonwealth again amid that firm's absorption by LPL Financial, and Osaic adds advisors with nearly $800 million in AUM.

Take Financial Planning's latest self-study continuing education quiz for an hour of credit toward maintaining professional certifications.

Independent financial advisors get a lot of flexibility, but a study by Deloitte and Wells Fargo FiNet delves into the complexity of expanding successfully.

AI-powered search results have changed how SEO works. Simple tweaks can help financial advisors and their firms show up much more frequently in no-click search results, experts say.

Merrill is also adjusting the incentives it gives advisors for steering clients into banking products.