Industry

The founding partners spent a combined 54 years with the No. 6 IBD before launching the fee-only firm.

The former MetLife advisors had affiliated with three different IBDs over four years amid the increasing consolidation in the space.

The advisors decided to join the firm following a meeting with Raymond James' leadership in St. Petersburg.

Soon after shuffling C-suite, the independent broker-dealer brings on nine advisors while it continues hunt for a new CFO.

M&A data varies widely among providers.

Two RIAs turned out to be well-matched, and combined to form a $5 billion firm.

“I did it for the LOLs,” advisor Doug Boneparth says of his newly launched advisor-focused T-shirt business.

Merrill Lynch’s head count isn’t suffering, but some regional BDs have grown by thousands in the past five years.

Planners have been leaving bank-backed firms in droves in search of what they say is greater freedom and flexibility.

The firm "deprived its clients of unbiased financial advice," the regulator says.