Practice Management News from Financial Planning

Wells Fargo recruits a $543M JPMorgan team, Raymond James adds a $360M family practice and Beacon Pointe acquires a women-led RIA.

This year the top three firms in FP's exclusive study of RIAs that do not do any commission business manage nearly $120 billion combined.

At a time when private equity ownership is causing clashes between independent broker-dealers and some of their largest advisory teams, Private Advisor Group found another option.

Every independent RIA has unique access to one niche: the prospects in their own ZIP code. Smart advisors can turn that information into a community-based customer pool.

The printable PDF includes rankings based on the firms' AUM as well as statistics on each firm's employees, client accounts and financial advisors.

Fiduciary laws trace their roots to ancient times, but the terms of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act are still evolving today.

A Schroder's expert says new data speaks volumes about the importance of building a solid nest egg before leaving the workforce.

The implications to taxes, hiring and the very legacy of a financial advisor's career demand much more formal documentation than most RIAs have undertaken, experts say.

The Munster Freeman Group will add to Wells Fargo's offerings for wealthy and ultrawealthy clients with offices in the Los Angeles area, Arizona and Colorado.

A growing number of RIAs are offering one-time, flat-fee advisory services as part of a broader embrace of advice-only planning. But not all advisors are sold.

Dueling announcements Friday show that UBS is still struggling with advisor retention even as it brings in a new executive to oversee its recruiting efforts.

One-third of financial advisors say balancing personalization with growth is the hardest trade-off for them to manage. Doing so successfully means making hard choices about what's most important for clients and the business.

RBC pulls $1.2B and $705M teams from rivals, Merrill gets a $420M duo, and several large M&A deals close.

Financial therapist Rahkim Sabree wove his personal experiences into a detailed manual on a problem he and others say is often glossed over by the industry.

A similar measure stalled years ago, but some advisors say the current bill has more momentum among lawmakers.

Less than a third of firms have a formal, documented plan in place, according to this month's Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook survey. Experts say this is a dangerous state of affairs.

The Internal Revenue Service increased the annual retirement plan contribution limits for 2026 thanks to cost-of-living adjustments for inflation.

The higher standard deduction since 2017 has dramatically reduced itemization. But the new law provides incentive for teachers to consider whether that's feasible.

Political instability and other pressures are feeding some clients' portfolio fears, advisors say in this month's Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook.

Scary good voice cloning technology means advisors can no longer believe what — or more accurately, who — they're hearing on the phone. Rigorous verification protocols are the new key to gaining client trust.