Demographics

Only 42% of couples who have advisors work with them jointly, according to a new Fidelity study. Here's one way to fix the problem.

Spousal benefits are the meat and potatoes of Social Security planning. Have you helped your clients maximize their situation?

The mass-affluent are getting more serious about long-term financial objectives, although there is still a major gap between their retirement savings and retirement goals.

According to a report from consulting firm Booz & Co., more than half (51%) of the "rising mass-affluent" say they would consider using their primary bank for investing, compared with only 37% over the age of 50 who said they would.

Some planners have implemented online capabilities to serve an increasingly tech-hungry public. But how much tech is enough – and does too much get in the way of good planning?

A 529 owned by a grandparent doesn’t count as an asset on the standard financial aid form but planning is necessary to avoid an aid reduction when money is withdrawn to pay college bills.

The segment may be ready to equal or even surpass its high-net-worth peers in appeal to the financial planning industry.

Non-correlated investments used to entail high minimums and low liquidity — but now even mass-affluent clients can find diversification through alternative mutual funds.

Banks have aimed their efforts too broadly at the mass-affluent, a diffuse and broad swath of customers. Instead, they should pursue the “rising mass affluent,” a segment with the most potential for accumulating wealth, according to Booz & Company.

Since the crisis, this segment has focused on paying its debt, but now it’s investing for retirement again. The kicker: just 40% use advisors.

Almost three in four millionaires (73%) and almost as many mass-affluent investors (72%) reported being satisfied, up from 72% and 69%, respectively, last year.

Mariner Wealth has jumped into the burgeoning space recently abandoned by LPL’s NestWise.

Generation X and the younger Generation Y—unlike Baby Boomers—see banks as places where they want to both do their banking and manage their investments.

The company's first product is an iPhone app that aims to take the hassle out of budgeting for young people.

Amid a surge in consumer assets, firms that cater to high-net-worth clients have a particular advantage, Chip Roame told an audience at the Tiburon CEO Summit.

Firm founded by ex-PayPal & Intuit CEO opens Denver office as digital upstarts jockey for tech-savvy clients.

Over the past two years, the number of advisors jumped to 60 from 45, an important factor in the unit’s revenue growth.

In August, the San Francisco-based bank launched a website, offering education, tools and a more robust capability to help the mass-affluent customer with retirement planning.

With the close of September we've compiled the most popular stories from the month. Check out the top five.

To grow the business, the bank will significantly increase the number of advisors from 25 to some 40 to 45 over the next three to five years.