Commission-based compensation

A trip to the future brought the unexpected, such as the death of advisor marketing and AI-driven monitoring of client finances.

"We said, 'Even though we are drinking water in the bar, there are too many drunks, so let's not go into the bar.'"

The firm is changing course in response to a shifting regulatory landscape and advisor feedback.

The fully-independent channel remain a competitive threat to IBDs attempting to retain top advisors while dealing with lost revenue.

A civil filing by an IBD seeks damages for firms and reps “who devoted significant time and resources to building a book of business,” an attorney says.

To attract and retain advisors, firms are reconsidering their approach to pay and benefits.

The No. 1 IBD unveiled positive recruiting numbers for the third quarter, alongside an 84% jump in profits.

The firm charges a very low fee but then steers customers to — can you guess? — its own funds.

LPL slammed the move by the exiting major issuer to cut off trails for advisors in certain existing contracts.

The firm announced last week that it would reinstate traditional brokerage for retirement accounts in October, giving new life to the conflicts it had eliminated.

The policy had been under review after a federal appeals court vacated the fiduciary rule earlier this year.

The firms with the highest percentage growth year-over-year are cutting their head counts and fueling the record level of M&A deals.

The firm plans to expand access to its line of low-cost funds to roughly 1,800, including those from BlackRock, Schwab and SSgA.

There’s no playbook, but there is common sense, says XY Planning co-founder Alan Moore.

Shifts in the annual ranking of the nation's independent broker-dealers show how pressure on IBDs is intensifying.

This interactive tool provides the full collection of data from Financial Planning's 33rd annual study of the largest firms in the space.

How can the industry find organic growth again? And where will the next generation of advisors come from? Bill Willis tackles both challenges, and discusses how they will affect compensation, as we elaborate on the issues discussed at our Recruiters Roundtable.

Financial advice sometimes is — and isn’t — deductible.

IBDs and regional firms are making the biggest changes, but RIAs have room for growth as well.

The regulator charged the firm and its owner with fraud in a case centered on commissions and 12b-1 fees.