Financial planning

HighTower has added a Merrill Lynch team with nearly $300 million in assets to its new network aimed at breakaway independents.

Some assets work best in a tax-advantaged retirement plan while others belong in a taxable account.

Some assets work best in a tax-advantaged retirement plan while others belong in a taxable account.

Generational wealth transfers can play a large role in the future growth of advisory firms -- but woe to those firms that aren't prepared for it. A few planners share their strategies.

Wells Fargo lost four advisors to regional firm Benjamin F. Edwards, but the wirehouse picked up six advisors collectively managing more than $500 million in assets. Meanwhile, UBS recruited a former Merrill advisor with $500 million in assets. Click through our slideshow to see these and all the latest moves, hires and promotions.

Staggering income annuities may help address clients' anxiety about long life expectancy and low investment yields. Here are two different approaches.

Competition is getting even tougher. Make sure you offer clients better service, deeper relationships and access to smarter experts.

Staggering income annuities may help address clients' anxiety about long life expectancy and low investment yields. Here are two different approaches.

Advisor rating site BrightScope's first list of the country's "most social" advisors is met with some head-shaking by planners.

Setting up small speculative accounts for adventurous clients may help to keep them on a prudent path with the rest of their portfolio.

An active tax indexing strategy enables clients with big holdings in their employers' stock to maintain the portfolio's risk positioning and reduce the tax pain.

When converting a regular IRA into a Roth IRA, it may be wise to use risky assets and be ready to undo the conversion if the assets move in the wrong direction.

Setting up small speculative accounts for adventurous clients may help to keep them on a prudent path with the rest of their portfolio.

An active tax indexing strategy enables clients with big holdings in their employers' stock to maintain the portfolio's risk positioning and reduce the tax pain.

When converting a regular IRA into a Roth IRA, it may be wise to use risky assets and be ready to undo the conversion if the assets move in the wrong direction.

Elliot Weissbluth tells HighTower conference attendees that he anticipates headwinds for firms that provide both products and advice and sees no future for small, unsophisticated advisors.

Putterman says his new consulting firm, 1812 Park, is aimed at developing long-term strategies for wealth management companies.

Leuthold Global ranges broadly, hoping to find themes that are in favor no matter what the markets throw its way.

A former Merrill Lynch advisor team has left the wirehouse to form Quadrant Private Wealth, a new partner firm of Focus Financial Partners, according to a spokesperson.

It's hard -- really hard -- to pick investments that outperform over time, Fama, the 2013 Nobel prize winner in economics, told advisors.