Financial planning

The majority of American workers accept responsibility for financing their own retirement and are relying primarily on their 401(k) to get them there, but many lack the confidence to effectively manage their retirement savings.

As we hit the 20-year mark in the ETF business, one might ask: What will that future bring? History is our best guide in that the next 20 years will look similar to the last 20. And that’s a good thing.

To ensure that your practice is meeting the needs of female clients, create goals for working with them -- and measure your success.

Here’s a sampling of bank reps who were recently promoted or moved to new organizations to assume roles of greater responsibility.

A spike in the proportion of RIA-to-RIA deals in the first half of this year may signify that the advisory field is starting to come into its own.

SEC Chairman Mary Jo White said she would push to adopt proposed automated-trading rules after system caused a three- hour halt on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Independent wealth management firm Banyan Partners is nearly doubling its assets under management to $4 billion by acquiring two firms simultaneously.

Federal Reserve policy makers were briefed last month on the potential for establishing an additional tool to aid them when they eventually seek to lift interest rates and tighten monetary policy.

The estate is arguing that a tax bill calculated by the IRS overvalued assets including real estate, a Bentley automobile and the late singer’s “image and likeness.”

When are you most efficient in the day? Figure it out -- and then organize your daily time management strategy with your own circadian rhythms in mind.

"This may sound sacrilegious for a planner, but I’ll admit it: I’m not a big fan of investment management," says solo advisor Dave Grant. Here's why Grant decided to use a TAMP instead.

Are you paying enough attention to your top 20 clients? Here are some tips to help you retain your best clients.

Two of the most influential organizations in the world of independent planners, the CFP Board and NAPFA, do not agree on the definition of one of the most hot-button terms in the profession: fee-only.

Despite the controversy and repeated delays, the IRS and the Treasury Department have been moving forward slowly with implementing FATCA, including the release of a draft version of Form 8966.

Proceed with care. That’s what bankers, accountants and wealth managers are telling same-sex couples considering financial changes because of the Supreme Court’s rejection of a federal law denying them benefits.

More than two-thirds of all students who graduate from a higher-education program that grants a degree or certificate in financial planning do not sit for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards exam, according to new research from the CFP Board.

The Internal Revenue Service has proposed to extend for up to 10 years the amount of time that taxpayers would have to apply for the “innocent spouse” tax relief program.

Advisors are adopting new technologies to streamline processes and impress clients. But it's smart to have a backup plan in case the technology fails you, says solo advisor Dave Grant.

Raymond James is ramping up its pitch to attract independent advisors by opening up access to alternative investments.

Many advisors have been surprised, almost shocked, to learn how unprofitable the bottom 50%, 60% or even 70% of their client base actually is.