Portfolio

With few new advisors coming into the industry but total U.S. assets growing rapidly, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Merrill and others are having to up their compensation game and distinguish themselves in other ways if they want to capture a larger share of the wealth pie.

How the big firms compare with each other in their advisor headcounts, assets under management and other attributes.

Cash is making a resurgence in financial planning, offering both advisors and clients the opportunity to grow.

The firm's wealth and investment unit contributed more than half of the Wall Street giant's profits and revenues for 2023.

The bank's wealth management and investment management units have been standouts in recent years.

The asset and wealth division helped drive the gains, posting its highest quarterly revenue in two years on a gain tied to the sale of a financial-management business. That helped counter fixed-income trading results and investment-banking fees that fell short of expectations.

Retirement plan sponsors and their financial advisors receive guidance from the IRS on how the Secure 2.0 Act opened the door for "de minimis financial incentives."

The firm's wealth management co-head said that recent changes to its pay grid have been favorably received.

The gains in assets under management come as the banking giant continues to add to its advisor headcount.

In 2023, seven tech stocks dominated the Nasdaq 100. Analysts expect 2024 to be different.