Growth strategies

The language that financial advisors use in their first interactions with prospective customers could make or break the relationship, according to an expert.

An internal successor, a seller and an acquirer dish out the most common mistakes they say advisory firms must avoid to address the challenge.

Many owners of privately held businesses are planning to sell at least part of their interests in the firm in the next five to 10 years, a Raymond James study found.

An organic growth technology firm launched out of Fidelity Investment's incubator spoke with 18 big RIAs about their marketing. The results speak for themselves.

Vanguard's latest poll and analysis offers a multifaceted explanation into how financial advisors should talk about their value to clients and prospective customers.

A tiered service model should make clients feel valued while helping the firm scale.

Logic (and compelling Cerulli Associates data) explain why advisor teams are gaining momentum. But teaming is not the only option for growth.

Getting away from the office to create or revise a firm's concrete goals and teammates' roles can help RIAs tap into organic growth, experts say.

Independent research firm Morningstar's latest study of the value of financial advice examines tax-efficient IRA asset location during the decumulation phase.

President Trump's signature tax law drew the most headlines, but FP covered the "T" intersection with wealth management from many angles.

Founders Elissa Buie and Dave Yeske are leaving a legacy in the profession and at the firm under three successors taking over in 2026.

Consolidation has been ongoing for more than a decade in wealth management, but it accelerated to unprecedented levels this year.

One of the most consequential M&A deals in years leads this roundup of the many ways big independent firms grew in 2025 and how they plan to continue growing in 2026.

Savant Wealth Management, Moneta Group Investment Advisors and EP Wealth Advisors lead a group of fee-only firms with headcounts well above their peers.

Experts say RIA owners often resist making themselves replaceable. But they'll have to choose between an internal or external deal someday.

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.

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.

Minority transactions are increasingly appealing to sellers who are wary of giving up the full control of their firms. But experts say the deals do come with strings.