Career planning

This list will appeal to advisers looking for new ideas, practices and perspectives to consider for the new year.

Ambition and training helped one veteran advisor learn to adopt financial planning tools, account aggregation software, video conferencing apps and tablets in his effort to create "a new client experience."

The high-ranking recruit will work on the firm's expansion plans and serve as a liaison between branch managers and top brass.

How military experience helped a former commanding officer of the Army’s Presidential Honor Guard transition to wealth management.

If you find yourself torn between serving clients and growing your practice, you may need some additional staff.

"If I said I had worked for AT&T for 33 years, anybody would ask me, 'Well, when are you going to retire?' But our industry is unique. It's not like a utility company, where after 30 or 35 years, you're done," says Larry Palmer, an advisor at Morgan Stanley.

Female planners can gain an edge in their practice by creating an environment more inviting to clients.

An advisor who moved to a wirehouse from a boutique offers guidance on finding a firm that will offer greater job satisfaction and also benefit clients.

"We can shuffle women from one firm to the next all day long, but we're still going to be at that 15%," says Michelle Lynch, director of Raymond James' Network for Women Advisors.

There are big payoffs for advisors who plan carefully.