Industry

Financial Planning’s 6th annual RIA Leaders ranking revealed a startling trend.

The new exec will advise wealthy individuals and families on tax and estate planning, investing, private banking, financial reporting and fiduciary services.

The planner, joining from Robertson Stephens, also has worked for UBS and Merrill Lynch.

Advisers will create strategies and communicate the advice. Software will handle the execution and maintenance of the strategies.

With a deep résumé representing Wall Street firms, Jay Clayton is seen as a business-friendly choice not expected to push major new regulations or ramp up RIA exams.

High-value targets include client names and account numbers. Protecting the information can also protect an advisory practice from regulatory penalties.

The new recruit, who started with the wirehouse's predecessor firm Smith Barney, has been in the industry since the late 1990s.

The expansion of hybrid platforms and bank digital advice promises big changes and fierce competition in automated wealth management.

New call analysis technology can dissect a conversation and actually flag if a representative is using throwaway words such as "like" or "um" too often.

Women need help in investing, and new niche robo advisers are providing a means to achieving financial confidence.