Special Program Root Tag

In this month's Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook, advisors' feelings about the overall economy and practice performance were up. That optimism could be fleeting.

Building a multigenerational practice speaks to some of the highest ideals of a planner's professional calling, speakers at a CFP Board conference said.

But Commonwealth Financial Network retains its appeal, pulling a team from Morgan Stanley, while LPL draws a large practice from RBC.

Along with traditional financial planning, Tushar Kumar includes estate and tax planning services at his firm in order to give clients, especially high net worth ones, a complete picture.

Client assets will always represent a key business metric. But $1 billion in AUM doesn't always add up to success — or to happiness.

Technology is moving quickly and retirement investing is now an individual responsibility, but the core purpose of a Wall Street career is still vital, the veteran banker said in an exit interview.

For a newly launched RIA, its website is one area in which less can be more — but only if the firm's online HQ puts the right visitors on the path to conversion.

With savings gaps, financial anxiety and plans to work longer, half of Gen X employees feel unprepared for retirement.

Also this week, Raymond James draws from Commonwealth again amid that firm's absorption by LPL Financial, and Osaic adds advisors with nearly $800 million in AUM.