Industry

Recruiters question if the new compensation model will be enough to sway advisors.

Investors withdrew money last month from Vanguard Group's emerging markets exchange-traded fund, the industry's largest, after the firm said it would replace the fund's index.

The good news for the merger and acquisitions market in 2012? Corporate profit margins have soared.

Expect reinforcements to Sentinel Investments' defined contribution team.

Five years ago, only about 15% of new clients came in over the transom, says the chief executive of one leading RIA. Today, that number has grown to 25% to 35% -- with many of those prospects specifically looking for independent advice.

The firm has modified payouts to encourage asset growth and will allow advisors to buy into company stock as part of a deferred compensation program.

3D Asset Management has added three sales executives to its business development team.

Raymond James has lured an LPL team of financial advisors in Towson, Md., that will operate under its independent broker-dealer.

Wall Street’s cost cuts and dismissals, which have helped erase more than 300,000 financial- industry jobs in the past two years, are far from over.

In the RIA space, rapid consolidation is driving firms to merge, acquire and seek larger partners. In 10 to 20 years, many predict a series of giant $100 billion-AUM firms will emerge to dominate the market. So what does the future hold for smaller firms?