At a time when private equity ownership is causing clashes between independent broker-dealers and some of their largest advisory teams, Private Advisor Group found another option.

Every independent RIA has unique access to one niche: the prospects in their own ZIP code. Smart advisors can turn that information into a community-based customer pool.

The printable PDF includes rankings based on the firms' AUM as well as statistics on each firm's employees, client accounts and financial advisors.

Fiduciary laws trace their roots to ancient times, but the terms of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act are still evolving today.

The implications to taxes, hiring and the very legacy of a financial advisor's career demand much more formal documentation than most RIAs have undertaken, experts say.

A growing number of RIAs are offering one-time, flat-fee advisory services as part of a broader embrace of advice-only planning. But not all advisors are sold.

One-third of financial advisors say balancing personalization with growth is the hardest trade-off for them to manage. Doing so successfully means making hard choices about what's most important for clients and the business.