Investing News from Financial Planning

The newly formed Cetera Planning Partners is part of the firm's plan to broaden its channel for advisors working as direct employees.

The firms' collaboration shines a light on how the wealth management business works today and how it is evolving, as advisors weigh independence against the risks of "poking the bear" when they leave.

Parents who don't effectively communicate estate plans to their children set them up to fail financially, emotionally and relationally.

Matthew Pallai said he has no doubt wealth managers explained the risks of private credit when recommending it to clients, but the recent rush to withdraw money from credit funds suggests "they probably should have said it more often and said it louder."

New research from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute shows pessimism about retirement preparedness is on the rise — that could open doors for advisors.

Subscribers can stay up to date on key industry issues while earning one hour of continuing education credit toward maintaining professional certification.

A well-planned retirement can go awry when clients overspend. Here's how financial advisors can rein them in.

A California man's complaint alleges that Morgan Stanley's website enabled tracking tech from Google and Microsoft to collect web visitors' browsing data for targeted online ads.

In a Q1 earnings call, CEO Jim Cracchiolo emphasized the firm's recruiting approach that seeks a "built, not bought" advisor workforce.

The Bahnsen Group, founded in 2015 by a former Morgan Stanley team, has grown into a private wealth powerhouse with roughly 100 employees and offices in three states.

Raymond James spent more than $100 million to recruit and retain advisors in its latest quarter. CEO Paul Shoukry says he'd rather do that than buy another firm.

Proceeds from the sale of Stifel Independent Advisors, aligned with declining litigation costs, helped drive firm-wide revenue to its second-highest level on record.

Financial advisors can differentiate themselves by knowing when to apply the tax-friendly strategy — and when to take a pass.

Adam Cox led the wealth management division of a regional bank for 10 years. His lack of an ownership stake in the business he'd spent so much time building eventually drove him to seek independence.

A consulting and M&A advisory firm presented six prospective sellers to 17 buyers, with striking results for any advisory teams tapping into a frothy M&A market.

A three-judge panel on the Fourth Circuit Appeals agrees with Merrill that its deferred compensation policies are a bonus used to reward brokers for loyalty to the firm.

The annual Diamond Consultants advisor transition tracking study identified the winners and losers of 2025. But it also noted how quickly things can change.

Compensation differences between wirehouses and regional firms become pronounced at the $2 million production level, with regionals rising to the top of the pay scale and wirehouses grouping together at the bottom.

A report from the industry tracking-firm DeVoe & Co. finds that 2026 is off to the strongest start for RIA acquisitions ever and broker-dealers like LPL are among the main purchasers.

While the megabank had previously announced an executive shakeup, it revealed that Pershing is part of a newly combined business line moving forward.