p17eqdojvo19tv1ogv1vtdfavo0u6.jpg

The Best and Worst of 2012: Who's Up?

With the financial advice industry going through a period of change, we took a look at the past year to see how the players shook out. Here’s a look at some of the people, organizations and ideas that ended the year in a sweeter position than they began it.


Check out The Best and Worst of 2012: Who's Down?
p17eqdojvo6sktr5aon1lakosc7.jpg

RIAs

RIAs and independent business models continue to win big. As a group, RIAs far outpaced the growth rate of the rest of the financial services industry, expanding at 13% versus 1.3%, according to Cerulli & Associates.
p17eqe83uaos5uuemac1ddge966.jpg

Social Media

Despite compliance concerns, social media became a bigger priority for planners. Industry leaders like LPL Financial have introduced new programs to encourage its planners to build links to new and existing clients using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other online media.
p17eqdojvpctuh56bb31am91hlq9.jpg

Mark Sear & David Ho

Last time we ran the numbers for the top RIA firms, Luminous Capital was in 13th place, with $3.86 billion in assets under management; by the end of the year, Luminous had jumped a few spots and had $5.34 billion in AUM. Then news hit that co-founders Mark Sear & David Ho had reaped a cash windfall by selling their large RIA to First Republic Bank in Los Angeles.
p17eqdojvqi0v1hjkdgotgeoeob.jpg

Texas Tech University’s Financial Planning Department

The well-established financial planning program at Texas Tech University was elevated to departmental status by the university. The move marked only the second time in the history of the profession that a planning program has joined other department-level fields such as psychology and physics. (The first was at University of Missouri.)

Flickr photo courtesy of Give2Tech
p17eqdojvq1i6gpjq12465s710jc.jpg

PIETech & Wealthcare Capital Management

Competing planning software producers PIETech, the maker of MoneyGuidePro, and Wealthcare Capital Management are both winners for settling their intellectual property dispute, without bleeding each other out in court. The win also will be good for consumers, keeping competition humming in this rapidly changing market.


Check out The Best and Worst of 2012: Who's Down?
MORE FROM FINANCIAL PLANNING