Financial planning

Going the RIA route is not an easy decision, but thoughtful preparation can get you there. Here’s how.

Some marketing may be counterproductive. Advisors need to communicate the value planners actually offer. Here's how.

Planners who remain in a position of control, whether employed at the wirehouses or regional broker-dealers, or operating as independents, can maintain client loyalty in troubled times, says recruiter Mark Elzweig.

Tech survey shows that 62.7% of advisors use it, up from about 50% in 2014 and 39.4% in 2013.

Workers with high-deductible health insurance plans qualify for health savings accounts, which gives them an opportunity to do tax-free investing and supplement their coverage even after they are retired; Plus, how retirement saving changed in 2015.

Tech survey shows that 76% of advisors offer one, with custodian and B-D offerings most popular.

Most forecasters at this time last year were anticipating a faster pace of Federal Reserve tightening to send yields higher. Instead, yields stayed low as inflation held in check.

Credit Suisse lost two advisors who oversaw more than $1.4 billion for J.P. Morgan Securities. Meanwhile, a Morgan Stanley team that managed $450 million in client assets went independent with HighTower. See these and other moves in our latest recruiting roundup.

Smart steps planners can take to build their business without hurting the bottom line.

A columnist is surprised by what he learns about his own practice when he hires a planner for his family’s finances.

Retirees who plan to go on a foreign trip in the early part of next year are advised to attend to their tax obligations before leaving; Plus, why more people in the U.S. and other industrialized nations are likely to retire poor.

Certain tax strategies can pay off in January. Advisors may want to have their clients jump on these as soon as 2016 starts.

To help smooth a transition to a paperless office, firm leaders should be ready to counteract common misperceptions and offer proactive strategies. Here’s how.

This type of software had the biggest influence on ROI, according to our tech survey.

A former wirehouse advisor has been building a new firm from the ground up.

"The run-of-the-mill robo isn't going to attract investments anymore," says Alois Pirker, research director for Aite Group's Wealth Management practice.

Prosecutors say Galen Marsh called the stolen data "the world’s best cold-calling list."

Emerging technology uses facial imaging to assess clients’ true feelings.

The trends to watch next year in automated advice.

Singles are advised to develop an estate plan and have an emergency fund that can cover six months of expenses; Plus, nine retirement strategies for women.