RIAs

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.

Dueling announcements Friday show that UBS is still struggling with advisor retention even as it brings in a new executive to oversee its recruiting efforts.

RBC pulls $1.2B and $705M teams from rivals, Merrill gets a $420M duo, and several large M&A deals close.

Minority transactions are increasingly appealing to sellers who are wary of giving up the full control of their firms. But experts say the deals do come with strings.

The Couch Group's return to Morgan Stanley is the latest evidence that UBS hasn't been able to stop the recent wave of advisor departures.

The Ensemble Practice's annual RIA compensation survey suggests that firms are paying a pretty penny for financial advisors but reaping healthy profits.

Also, an Ex-Truist/Balentine duo start an RIA, Raymond James grabs a team from Wells Fargo and Janney names a new head of advisor recruiting.

Merrill wealth co-head Eric Schimpf says the firm does about as good a job as its rivals in drawing in net new assets. But given Merrill's relationship with Bank of America, "We can do better."

Deal structure, transition plans and dog and pony shows represent only a few of the thorny difficulties involved with branching into an acquisition strategy, experts say.