Growth strategies

Seven IBDs turn 50 this year. Here's why most of them won't survive another half-century.

The No. 1 IBD poached two more teams from the largest firm in rival network Cetera Financial Group.

The firm has streamlined its leadership structure and overhauled its marketing strategy.

The No. 7 IBD expects such moves by advisors to increase in coming years, so it's ramping up offerings aimed at fee-only services.

As mega firms scale up and niche advisors specialize further, profits for a vast swath of the advisory market are getting squeezed.

Allianz became the second multinational insurance firm to step away from the IBD space this year under a plan to shutter Questar Capital.

Sterne Agee changed its name after Stifel sold the firm in 2016 to INTL FCStone for about $50 million.

The private equity firm completed the largest IBD purchase of the year by acquiring the majority of the 7,700-advisor network.

Most of the 150 markets are in areas 30 miles away from the nearest Bank of America branch.

Charged with leading the firm’s recruiting and sales strategy, Scott Posner will report to the recent successor to Bill Morrissey, who left the firm last month.