Financial planning

Fidelity's custody unit is backing a deal in which a Mariner Holdings unit will pay 35 basis points for referrals of mass affluent customers.

Conversations with several star execs from the financial advisory sphere reveal insights and action steps that could help other advisors.

Practitioners need to be aware of the tax-free IRA rollover rules that took effect on Jan. 1, 2015 to protect their clients from major tax problems and penalties.

IRS prosecutions spike in April, possibly as a not-so-gentle reminder during filing season that there can be a big price to pay for tax evasion and tax fraud.

The decrease in the number of cases reflects recent budget and staffing cuts, according to the IRS.

A ranking of the states with the most IRS audits and the most state audits, according to a new study.

Clients can take an early retirement and withdraw from their accounts without paying any penalty if they opt for a substantially equal periodic payment program in their pre-tax IRA and 401(k) plans; Plus, how to navigate Social Security's highways and byways.

Focus Financial expand into Southeast with family-owned firm that has $600 million in AUM but no succession solution.

HighTower adds a group led by one of On Wall Street's Top 40 Advisors Under 40.

Financial Planning surveyed its readers to ask about compensation trends, their current structure and any changes their firm was making. We found some of the answers surprising.

More Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a measure that would increase Social Security benefits and raise payroll taxes to address the program's financial woes; Plus, how retirees can reduce their RMDs with a Roth conversion.

The billions firms spend on technology are weighted too heavily toward infrastructure, Aite Group says, and not enough on client-facing upgrades instead.

Convincing advisors "why they should stay" and continue to grow with Cetera will be a priority for Ballard.

Just months after the Supreme Court appeared to end the legal fight over swipe-fee rules, a new battle is brewing over the interplay between mobile payments like Apple Pay and the Durbin amendment.

Tax preparers share their clients' strangest misconceptions.

The newest generation of up-and-coming investors will cause a paradigm shift in the development and delivery of services and products to meet their unique needs. Is your firm ready?

In a recent interview Mohamed El-Erian was asked about everything from life after Pimco to where he is currently putting most of his money.

No matter how strong their operating earnings, companies can't pay dividends without this.

The firm recruited three advisors to its employee and independent channels from rivals Edward Jones, Wells Fargo and MetLife Securities.

A checklist for taxable-bond-fund investors; Plus, seeing a tax refund as a financial opportunity, and why stocks may rise before tax day.