Financial planning

In the second quarter, fixed annuities experienced highest quarterly sales since 2011, according to data from Morningstar and Beacon Research.

Blogging requires a commitment, but if approached the correct way, it should not be a burden. Here are a few tips that are currently helping solo advisor Dave Grant.

Sometimes it pays to build walls in the wealth management industry—as long as they keep competitors out and clients in.

A preview of the company’s new cloud-based CRM tool suggests a solid beginning.

If you have clients who are struggling with the regular investment goals you’ve designed for them, and just can’t seem to understand where the problem might lie, it could be time to ask this question.

After Sheryl Garrett said an ideal partner would be a group like NAPFA, Pinnacle Advisory Group’s Michael Kitces responede skeptically.

Rex Staples, the director of investigations for the beleaguered CFP Board of Standards, is stepping down.

Strategic marketing customized for female clients helped one longtime planner build her own practice up to $100 million in AUM.

Designed to allay your clients' worst fears about aging, these insurance products sometimes come with their own nightmares.

The IRS has issued final regulations for the shared responsibility payment for not maintaining minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as the individual mandate.

The goal of your website is to gather contact information so that you can reach out to prospects. You can do this using a three-step process.

In addition to allowing one advisor time to contemplate bigger picture ideas, a two-week vacation served as a refreshing reminder that the world doesn't stop when we turn off our phones.

LPL is shuttering NestWise, the once-hyped unit that was launched just last year to serve less affluent customers, and has laid off 40 NestWise employees.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago has affirmed the Tax Court, upholding the disallowance by the IRS of losses claimed by investors in a DAD (distressed asset/debt) tax shelter.

Beginning next month, a number of tech firms that are also RIAs are poised to enter the red-hot online advisory space, offering consumers not only financial guidance but specific buy/sell/hold recommendations for mutual funds and ETFs, based on algorithms and aggregation of clients’ accounts.

To do so, the country’s largest independent broker dealer expects to have a portal up and running, probably under the name AdvisorHarmony, as early as next year that will allow advisors to sift through potential partners on their own.

Retirement: It's the main goal of most investing and the biggest worry of most clients. As a sneak peek to our upcoming September issue on the topic, we list the top 10 target-date funds for 60-year-old investors.

John Hancock Financial Network has rebranded under the name Signator Investors, as a sign to advisors of its commitment to grow the advisory side of its business.

The Internal Revenue Service has provided summaries and a set of tips to help with compliance for some of the more complex areas of the foreign tax credit law.

When issues arise, advisors should follow the steps doctors take to diagnose and treat the problem to create a healthy, vibrant business.