Industry

Licensed branch employees represent a significant opportunity that many banks have not tapped to its full potential, according to LPL's Rob Comfort.

The Wealth Consulting Group, an affiliate of Strategic Wealth Associates, announced it has hired former Major League Baseball athletic trainer Stephen Sayles as a registered representative.

Mary Jo White was sworn in this morning as the 31st Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Financial Services Institute is heralding the advance of legislation in Florida that would significantly ease the registration process for advisors representing firms headquartered in other states.

Putnam Investments has added three new DCIO Investment Specialists to bolster its sales effort in the 401(k) market.

Russell Investments has appointed Andrew Scherer as director of defined contribution, intermediary distribution for the firm’s U.S. advisor-sold business, which sells mutual funds and other multi-asset products to DC recordkeeping platforms, retirement plan sponsors and retirement plan advisors.

Royal Alliance is adding wealth management firm JLTD Advisors of Chicago and Integrated Financial Group of Salt Lake City to its hybrid platform.

Jonathan Gabriel, the former COO of MDS Bankmart, once the largest third-party marketing firm for banks, has joined Kehrer Saltzman & Associates as a senior associate.

Advisors rule the financial services industry for now -- but keep an eye on direct-channel “self-serve” distribution, Chip Roame said Tuesday at his firm's semiannual CEO Summit.

Company employees will head into the field next week to woo about 850 advisors from two broker-dealers that Cetera intends to acquire from insurer MetLife, says Cetera Financial Group CEO Valerie Brown.