Investing News from Financial Planning

Autonomy is the first casualty when ensemble practices scale to national size, but the tangible benefits are real.

Merrill, BMO and Schwab are among many firms helping clients take out security-backed loans against market gains to avoid capital gains tax hits.

Despite looming concerns, only 32% of retirees said they work with a financial advisor, according to Schroders' 2026 U.S. Retirement Survey.

The Uniform Partition of Heirs' Property Act helps families avoid forced property sales in at least 24 states, according to a study sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

Firms with big recruiting loan balances are often the ones with the most success hiring advisors from industry rivals. But the numbers also suggest they're offering increasingly generous deals.

Financial planners who joined the Transparent Advisor Movement's first "Flat Fridays" meetup touched on the difficulty of explaining the industry to consumers.

Employees can make nominations for Financial Planning's Best Workplaces in Money Management, a research-driven program recognizing firms' practices and cultures.

The program recognizes registered investment advisory practices that provide positive workplace environments and excellent benefits, according to their employees.

Oppenheimer said it had calculated its potential liability in its cash sweeps lawsuit at more than $440 million. Rather than face a jury, it's settling the class action lawsuit.

Financial planning can be complex to regular investors. Advisors shared the analogies and stories that bring ideas into focus with clients and prospects.

At their institutional investor day, Charles Schwab executives say they see a huge opportunity in arranging securities-backed loans for firms in its RIA network.

Financial planners and organic growth experts understand why some may hesitate to start posting videos. But the benefits far outweigh any risk of embarrassment.

Investors are asking AI for help picking a financial advisor. Yet some firms remain invisible to AI. Here's how to get Claude or ChatGPT to name you.

Rossby Financial is deploying a profitability tool as it competes against much larger RIAs for financial advisor talent.

Jack Mullen has built an ultrahigh net worth niche at Merrill Private Wealth Management that functions much like a family office. Here's how he did it, in our latest installment of Know Your Niche.

Join us next month for a discussion on whether more clients should be in private markets, how advisors can explain the pros and cons of alternative investments, and just where crypto and digital assets belong.

In Wells' latest big recruiting deal, two separate groups at Merrill are coming together to form Twin Harbors Private Wealth at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, or FiNet.

Allowing clients to surrender or lapse life insurance policies before gauging value on the secondary market amounts to a fiduciary fail, argues Cole Hallman of Citizens Life Group.

NASAA's proposal would align state laws with the SEC's marketing rule, eliminating concerns advisors have about running afoul of more local laws as they accept testimonials and reviews.

Marketing experts say that advisory practices trying to grow organically must be thoughtful about the button that offers website visitors a meeting — or they could lose the prospect altogether.