Practice

Bill Hamm's Independent Financial Partners took a rare step in 2019 when the firm left LPL to launch its own brokerage. Now it's offering an interesting recruiting pitch to financial advisors.

Autonomy is the first casualty when ensemble practices scale to national size, but the tangible benefits are real.

Merrill, BMO and Schwab are among many firms helping clients take out security-backed loans against market gains to avoid capital gains tax hits.

Despite looming concerns, only 32% of retirees said they work with a financial advisor, according to Schroders' 2026 U.S. Retirement Survey.

The Uniform Partition of Heirs' Property Act helps families avoid forced property sales in at least 24 states, according to a study sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

Firms with big recruiting loan balances are often the ones with the most success hiring advisors from industry rivals. But the numbers also suggest they're offering increasingly generous deals.

Financial planners who joined the Transparent Advisor Movement's first "Flat Fridays" meetup touched on the difficulty of explaining the industry to consumers.

The Securities and Exchange Commission rescinded a policy Monday requiring defendants in settled enforcement actions not to publicly deny the SEC's allegations.

Employees can make nominations for Financial Planning's Best Workplaces in Money Management, a research-driven program recognizing firms' practices and cultures.

Oppenheimer said it had calculated its potential liability in its cash sweeps lawsuit at more than $440 million. Rather than face a jury, it's settling the class action lawsuit.