Financial planning

"He clearly wouldn't be walking way [from American Realty Capital] if things were business as usual,” says Aite Group analyst Alois Pirker. “The optics are just not very good."

With nearly 16,000 firms managing $2.4 trillion in assets, Cerulli predicts the RIA industry will capture 28% of retail investor assets by 2018.

The $500 million firm "outgrew" Ameriprise before joining one of the country's largest aggregators, United Cap's Brinker says.

A couple who bought a business using money from their self-directed IRA faced a big tax bill as the value of the business increased; Plus, how to transition your clients before you retire.

Year-end tax planning isn't necessarily a good reason to bring up charitable planning with your clients.

RCS Executive Chairman Nicholas Schorsch and two other top executives resigned from American Realty Capital Properties.

High-income workers can contribute more than $30K to their Roth IRA every year despite contribution limits imposed on this type of retirement account; plus, how investors can use the drop in oil prices to boost retirement income.

Big producers continued to strike out on their own in 2014. See the year's biggest breakaways.

Retirement calculators only give an opinion of the sufficiency of retirement savings and do not provide an accurate assessment; plus, what to do when markets tumble.

Advisors still have time to come up with significant savings for their clients.

Citigroup and Goldman Sachs Group were among 10 banks fined for failing to shield analysts from pressure to promote stocks a decade after a U.S. crackdown sought to end Wall Street conflicts of interest.

The tax and financial advantages of a charitable gift annuity are substantial, but sometimes oversold. Make sure donor clients understand how these annuities work.

Former Convergent Chairman Steve Lockshin offers his take on events and issues surrounding the suicide of his friend, ex-Convergent CEO David Zier.

TK

Two advisors have been hit with fraud charges for allegedly misleading clients about a hedge fund managed by an investment novice and debt collector.

Three ways your clients can save on taxes; two money moves they should make this year; and what they should do with capital losses before saying goodbye to 2014.

A trio of top custodial executives discussing big trends for the RIA sector downplayed the term -- at least as a marketing advantage -- during a panel this week at the MarketCounsel summit in Las Vegas.

The soaring stock market this year has provided a boon for investors age 65 and over even more than people from other age groups; plus, sales pitches about annuities can distract savers from making an informed investing decision.

Wealth managers called into active duty have a delicate balancing act between serving firm and country.

Each camp offers sound reasoning for focusing on one practice over another, but what's the best strategy for client portfolios? Here's a look at how active and passive funds have fared in 2014.