Following the latest round of quarterly earnings reports, the industry has a chance to see how the wirehouse and regional firms are faring.
Headcount is dropping at the latter group, but assets and productivity continue to rise. The so-called super regional firms, meanwhile, have growing advisor ranks and burgeoning profits. But in sheer size, as measured by total assets, wirehouses continue to dominate.
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Ron Kruszewski led Stifel through a year that saw record revenue and strong advisor recruiting, but also a string of legal setbacks.
A three-judge panel on the Fourth Circuit Appeals agrees with Merrill that its deferred compensation policies are a bonus used to reward brokers for loyalty to the firm.
The annual Diamond Consultants advisor transition tracking study identified the winners and losers of 2025. But it also noted how quickly things can change.
Compensation differences between wirehouses and regional firms become pronounced at the $2 million production level, with regionals rising to the top of the pay scale and wirehouses grouping together at the bottom.
A report from the industry tracking-firm DeVoe & Co. finds that 2026 is off to the strongest start for RIA acquisitions ever and broker-dealers like LPL are among the main purchasers.
While the megabank had previously announced an executive shakeup, it revealed that Pershing is part of a newly combined business line moving forward.
