RIAs

Two questions lie at the heart of the rapidly evolving registered investment advisory space: Which of the country's 15,016 RIA firms can legitimately call themselves independent? And what, precisely, does independence mean anyway? Here are Financial Planning's top 50 fee-only RIA firms for 2012.

The shaping of this year's list reveals plenty about the shifting dynamics of the RIA industry.

Advisors naively believe that only 17% of their clients hold a direct account when in fact 74% do, according to a new report from Boston-based research firm Cerulli Associates.

This year was a “slower year than many expected,” in terms of financial advisors departing major firms for other pastures, according to Chip Roame, the managing partner at Tiburon Strategic Advisors. “I believe 2013 may be slower, too,” he says.

Industry experts and thought leaders make their predictions about what is to come for advisors and investing in 2013.

Celebrating its two-year anniversary with an announcement of its 11-figure status, New York-based Dynasty Financial Partners aims to separate itself from the myriad of firms offering services to registered investment advisors.

Envestnet-Tamarac, a Chicago-based provider of integrated web-based portfolio and client management software for independent advisors, has entered into a strategic alliance with Salentica Inc., a provider of client relationship management and client reporting technology solutions for wealth managers

The San Diego-based firm plans to open three new offices in “key” California markets over the next 12 to 18 months.

Armed with new executives and a new partnership with an RIA, the online wealth advisory and lead generation firm for advisors, is thinking expansion.

Determined to keep its 48-year-old firm’s “small, hometown feel,” Investors Security of Suffolk, Va., has decided to drop its own broker-dealer and affiliate with Securities America.