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Financial advisors report a variety of pros and cons with either setup, and experts say the decision comes down to highly particular factors at each advisory practice.

Older Americans are worried about when to claim Social Security. Financial advisors need to have much different conversations with their younger clients.

Also this week, Raymond James pulls from Ameriprise, UBS from Morgan Stanley and LPL from RBC.

A consulting firm's report on the future of the channel reveals the ambivalence and frustration many feel about the impact of M&A consolidation.

Other than satisfying important regulatory requirements, RIAs and their clients can exercise a lot of choice on costs. Here's how experts view the process.

Ryan Salah, of Capital Financial Partners, said his RIA recently decided to add tax planning software into the mix.

While the advantages to the parents often receive the most attention, a summer job could pay literal dividends to the children, experts say.

RBC Wealth goes to UBS again to pull over advisors with large AUM tallies; Carson Group buys a firm in Colorado, and Goldman Sachs alumni set up an RIA through Dynasty Financial.

They must file the lengthy and highly specific Form ADV document with the SEC and state-level agencies. And that's just one aspect of the many strategic decisions.

Industry experts say there's theoretically no reason why firms can't keep getting bigger through recruiting deals. But a lack of good M&A prospects could make growth harder for LPL and other independent broker-dealers.

With concerns about compliance and client connections, some financial advisors find that double-checking AI can negate the time savings they're hoping for.

By far the most significant factor behind the jump in this month's Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook (FACO) was the outlook for the overall economy.

Finding the right time to launch a registered investment advisory firm and the importance of building lasting client connections all play into advisor success.

LPL Financial also pulls an advisory team from RBC, and Cetera hires a chief fiduciary officer for its trust subsidiary.

A recent report by Cerulli found that more than one-third of affluent investors said they prefer fee-based planning. But advisors on the ground say clients are often confused about fee-related labels and need help understanding pricing models.

Experts say that there are pitfalls, rules and procedures that departing financial advisors should know. Problem is, too many act first and consult lawyers later.

Paul Algreen, the executive managing director and chief technology officer at Cresset Capital in Chicago, took the opportunity to turn the firm's tech stack from a "blank slate" to the scaling juggernaut it is.

Social Security claims are up, suggesting retirees are worried about the program. We asked advisors if the economy and solvency of the program have them changing their strategies.

UBS continues to lose larger advisory teams after making changes to compensation policies last year. Meanwhile, Ashton Thomas and LPL both score advisory teams.

The flow of financial advisors to the independent channels is certainly accelerating. But the traditional brokerage giants still offer advantages for some teams.