Industry

Industry experts say there's theoretically no reason why firms can't keep getting bigger through recruiting deals. But a lack of good M&A prospects could make growth harder for LPL and other independent broker-dealers.

Finding the right time to launch a registered investment advisory firm and the importance of building lasting client connections all play into advisor success.

LPL Financial also pulls an advisory team from RBC, and Cetera hires a chief fiduciary officer for its trust subsidiary.

Retired investor Tracy Driver alleges he was encouraged to put millions into a now delisted media company and then lost more through unauthorized sales of "prized" shares in Nvidia, Microsoft and Alphabet.

Experts say that there are pitfalls, rules and procedures that departing financial advisors should know. Problem is, too many act first and consult lawyers later.

Brian Mora, senior vice president of experienced advisor recruiting, thinks Ameriprise has the antidote to the high dropout rates seen in most industry training programs.

The transition challenges were great, writes Kimberly Foss; the ultimate rewards for her and her clients, even greater.

Paul Algreen, the executive managing director and chief technology officer at Cresset Capital in Chicago, took the opportunity to turn the firm's tech stack from a "blank slate" to the scaling juggernaut it is.

UBS continues to lose larger advisory teams after making changes to compensation policies last year. Meanwhile, Ashton Thomas and LPL both score advisory teams.

Amid the great wealth transfer, having a flexible tech stack that attracts young, next-gen clients is a must.