Economy

States from Utah to Maryland are getting tough with residents who register vehicles elsewhere to avoid taxes and fees at home.

Brokerages applaud a new rule that will relieve them of the obligation to monitor advisors' side gigs such as driving for Uber or bartending. But regulators say they still have plenty of obligations to monitor outside business activities.

Osaic expected advisor departures during its massive consolidation of nine separate broker-dealers within its corporate structure. But CEO Jamie Price says the effort positioned the firm well for a future liquidity event. Here's how the independent broker-dealer is rebuilding.

A gathering for LGBTQ advisors and allies the day before LPL's flagship Focus conference drew executives, big-name sponsors and a standing-room crowd. So Marci Bair and other organizers are planning a standalone event next spring.

Interactive Brokers, also known by its hot ticker symbol of IBKR, shares much more fee information than most custodians, without revealing much in the way of its scale among RIAs. Can it gain greater reach in a competitive channel?

One year after $300M deal, referrals through Robinhood that put younger investors in the pipeline and an ongoing clearing relationship with Wells Fargo reflect how TradePMR is a growing rival to the giants of the custody channel.

Some midsize firms joined three giants of the industry in surpassing their peers among independent brokerages, in terms of the percentage increase in their average payouts per financial advisor last year.

After his firm agreed to one of the most impactful deals in wealth management of 2026, Altruist CEO Jason Wenk sat down with FP to discuss the negotiations, his firm's strategy and the new tool he says can build higher-quality plans in much less time.

The largest firm in the independent brokerage channel is also the fastest growing. But the industry's rapid expansion alongside rising equity values over the past three years may be hiding some firms' vulnerabilities.

The OZ tax benefit for capital gains will still apply in 2027, but the original rule has an advantage worth weighing.

Industry consultants recommend steps RIAs in Schwab's referral network can take if they're worried about competition for clients.

Executives from some of the largest firms in the channel — Ameriprise, Kestra Financial, Cetera, LPL Financial and Osaic — discuss how clearing and custody fits into their approaches to recruiting and retaining financial advisors.

The printable PDF includes rankings based on the firms' 2025 revenue as well as the number of financial advisors, compensation, total client account assets and more.

View the exclusive research from Financial Planning's latest annual study of brokerages whose financial advisors aren't employees of the firms — and sort and compare data across the past 15 years.

In a constantly changing industry, clearing and custody fees defy generalizations. The largest independent broker-dealers present financial advisors with the choice of working with a "self-clearing" firm or one that outsources those essential services.

The rollout of New York's pied-à-terre tax can proceed for now after an appeals court temporarily put a hold on a Staten Island judge's order blocking the plan.

Altruist has earned legions of fans among financial advisors for sleek technology and low, clear fees. But its critics question whether that is enough to catch up to the giants that have dominated the business for decades.

New York City's new pied-à-terre tax is prompting financial advisors to help wealthy clients reassess their options, from residency status to estate plans.

Millennial and Gen Z Americans aren't investing in homes the same way as previous generations: The National Association of Realtors found the median age of first-time buyers last year was 40, an all time high. Here's what wealth advisors need to know.

SEI may not be the first firm that comes to mind when thinking about the industry's custodians, but the firm has built a substantial client base of financial advisors over more than 30 years.