As summer comes to a close, we're taking a look back at some of the hottest stories this season. Whether you were on vacation or busy working -- maybe you just finally have time to catch up on reading over the long weekend -- we've gathered the summer's top stories all in one place.

How, when and where do you spend your creative time?

Time and energy are an advisor's two scarcest resources. Adding performance goals helps allocate these resources and transforms a business plan into a living document that can meaningfully contribute to greater success.

Clients may be holding back simply because they don’t want to hear your answer¬—how are you supposed to deal with that?

More than two-thirds of all students who graduate from a higher-education program that grants a degree or certificate in financial planning do not sit for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards exam, according to new research from the CFP Board.

The organization is planning a new, broadly accessible online program now being developed in partnership with the University of Illinois.

The complexities of caring for cognitively impaired clients mean advisors need to learn new skill sets to specialize in serving elderly clients or build up a robust network of professionals to help.

Study groups are a great way to not only share strategies and solutions, but to benchmark your performance and that of your firm against others in the industry.

TowneBank bought a minority stake in a security firm to help protect its commercial customers and boost revenue.

We recently published a list of 20 books for every advisor's summer reading list, and received such a strong and positive response that we decided to expand it. Via Twitter, LinkedIn, emails, and phone calls, here are 20 additional books that financial advisors deem as imperative for their practices.

Setting realistic expectations for clients up-front is crucial to the relationship and can help you bring in new business.

Five years after the meltdown, advisors still face a crisis of confidence.

By practicing meditation and learning other stress-reducing habits, advisors can improve their practices - and their lives.

It's been nearly 3 months since I left my former firm to start my own. Here are a few strategies that have helped me so far.

The Supreme Court ruling clarified the financial status of some legally married same-sex couples - but muddied it for others.

Eight-year-old financial services firm Kendall Capital Management recently announced that it exceeded its goal of $100 million in assets under management amid 36.8% growth in revenues over the past year.

Here’s how one advisor encourages philanthropic efforts of his clients by being a philanthropist himself.

Learning about the thinking patterns that you employ whenever you encounter difficult or challenging events is the first step in making life-altering changes in your thinking. Here are five examples of distorted thinking habits that advisors commonly face.

As Roth 401(k) plans continue to spread, young workers increasingly are voting to go Roth. In the first quarter of 2013, 10% of all participants in Wells Fargo-administered defined contribution plans contributed to a Roth 401(k), when available, up from 8.9% a year earlier. Leading the way were employees under age 30: 16.9% chose the Roth route, a jump from 15.2% participation in last year’s first quarter. (Only 4% of participants in their 60s chose the Roth version this year.)

Instead of comparing clients to a benchmark, investors want their advisors to assess performance based on specific goals, according to Catherine McBreen, president of the Millionaire Corner – a research organization focused on understanding investor decision-making.