Regulation

Key people should be focused on rainmaking, not endless other tasks.

While a federal court allowed the organization to file a brief saying it upheld fiduciary values, it should not be providing expert opinions, writes the founder of a fiduciary consulting firm.

The firm is going for a middle-of-the-road approach that includes fee-based retirement accounts and which also relies on the best interest contract exemption with certain clients, says CEO Ron Kruszewski.

If you plan to join another firm or go indie, you’d better reacquaint yourself with this landmark agreement first.

Amid reports of a possible sale, assets rise and expenses fall.

Proponents of internal crossing say it can reduce costs, while detractors say it's riddled with potential conflicts of interest.

Friends and business associates lost $2 million in a Ponzi-like scheme.

The advisers made the move in the wake of new regulatory guidance which takes aim at recruiting deals.

Regulator comes down hard on compliance failures; additional $6.3 million must be paid back to investors.

"There are ways to potentially be cute with it. You could potentially cut out retirement business from the back-end bonuses," says an ex-Merrill Lynch executive who works in the independent space. "Cute doesn't usually work when it comes to regulators."