Industry

LPL Financial added Ingham Retirement Group to its broker-dealer and RIA custodial platforms.

The number of deals for RIA firms jumped in the first quarter, according to new research from Schwab Advisor Services. But transaction value was lower than at any point in the last year.

The Louisville, Ky., firm picked up two advisors with a total of $200 million in assets.

Balances in small business retirement plans have increased an average of 20 percent between 2007 and 2012 in the aftermath of the recession.

The combination will create one of the largest regional brokerages on the West coast.

Elise Fortin, a former executive of Wells Fargo Private Bank, will be responsible for leading Umpqua Private Bank’s expansion in the Puget Sound region.

Neuberger Berman has hired 22 emerging markets debt (EMD) investment professionals, 19 of whom have joined the firm from ING Investment Management, where they managed over US$16 billion in EMD assets.

Dynasty Financial Partners is crossing the border and headed north.

There are only a few dozen banks with assets of $20 billion to $350 billion. In this regulatory climate, these regional banks in the middle of the size spectrum look very much like the industry's new sweet spot.

A dearth of suitable candidates is putting a strain on growing firms - and sharply boosting the price tag for top advisors.