Financial planning

America's wealthiest investors plan to increase their use of independent financial planners in 2014, according to a new study from Spectrem Group.

The Money Tree Total Planning Suite has been totally rewritten for the cloud. But does it have the flair some planners are looking for?

Social Security has major long-term issues to solve, but until then it's still a critical source of retirement income for clients.

Fidelity Investments said Ronald P. O'Hanley, the firm's head of asset management since 2010, will leave at the end of February, without giving a reason.

Writing an investment policy statement can increase client satisfaction, investment returns and facilitate an advisor's fiduciary duty.

Dynasty Financial Partners has hired Ronald Sallet as senior vice president of network development, making good on its promise to boost business development in 2014.

Mohamed El-Erian resigned as head of bond-fund manager Pimco and will be replaced by Douglas Hodge.

Beirne Wealth Consulting, one of the nation's fastest growing fee-only RIA firms, has picked up a team of financial advisors from Morgan Stanley.

To avoid common traps like groupthink, firms' investment committees need to start by examining how they think.

International investors are the most upbeat about the global economy than at any time in almost five years, buoyed by the U.S.-led revival of industrial nations, according to the Bloomberg Global Poll.

The Foundation for Financial Planning has named four new members to its board of trustees.

The IRS has released a set of proposed regulations to prevent abuses of the partnership basis adjustment rules, disallow partnership loss transfers and avoid some of the abuses uncovered by the Enron scandal.

See who topped the charts on Financial Planning's list of the top 50 Fastest-Growing RIA Firms. These firms range in size, but all are growing -- fast.

Preparing now can position your firm for a tidal wave of success, but failing to understand and adapt to generational differences may create a shock wave for your firm.

Assets managed by dually registered advisors are growing faster than any other channel -- underscoring the industry's "slow but steady migration" toward independent models, according to new research from Cerulli.

The principles that served him well in selling Paine Webber to UBS, Donald Marron says, helped him pull the trigger to sell Cetera.

RCAP buys J.P. Turner for $27 million; Schorsch is calling IBDs, large and small, in search of deals, says Cambridge's Schwartz.

Northwestern Mutual is fishing for talent -- and it's using 6,400 hooks.

On the heels of a companywide rebrand, some advisors think 'Here we go again'; others are happy with the change.

Edelman Financial Group announced Thursday that Tiburon Strategic Advisors managing partner Charles "Chip" Roame has been added to its board of directors.