Practice

Banks nationwide agree: Costly branches must evolve to accommodate modern times, but question marks remain on the how. Higher functioning ATMs, tablet-equipped employees, and video tellers are some of the ways financial institutions are testing out new branch models.

BofA Should Pay $863 Million in Fannie Mae Case, U.S. Says

FINRA's Watch Over Funds

The answer rests not with the firms but with advisors themselves, says James Kerr, president of Davidson Companies.

Bank of America should pay the maximum penalty of $863 million for selling defective loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, given the egregiousness of the fraud, U.S. prosecutors told a federal judge.

Firms need technology resources and budget allocation if they want to create a social media program for their advisors.

The IRS’s ability to detect identity theft has improved, but billions of dollars were lost to criminals in 2011, according to a new report.

Social media marketing is a key component in an effective inbound marketing strategy, but it’s important to capture the right “voice” on your social media sites.

Demand is high for experienced executives across all channels. While advisor migration to independent RIAs remains the dominant trend, large wirehouse and bank players are also very much in the game for talent.

“We’re not maniacally focused on how many advisors we have affiliated with the firm,” says Scott Curtis, president of Raymond James Financial Services.