Financial planning

Cambridge Investment Research founder Eric Schwartz has put together a highly structured several-year plan aimed at sharing company ownership and allowing it to remain independent. Here are the main pillars of the plan.

Founder Eric Schwartz is making big plans to preserve the firm’s independence and viability for the long term -- by giving away control now.

In the most recent expansion of its planning services, Raleigh, N.C.-based Capital Investment is adding five new financial advisors.

Northstar Wealth Partners, the largest LPL Financial-affiliated wealth management firm in Connecticut, has nearly doubled its assets under management to just under $2 billion -- by recruiting two advisors formerly with Essex Financial Services in Essex, Conn.

One service provider is looking to take advantage of the migration of hedge funds into the mutual funds space by offering its hedge fund clients its Investment Company Compliance Services offering.

Money market mutual fund assets increased by $8.53 billion to $2.632 trillion for the week ended July 17, according to the Investment Company Institute.

The Senate Banking Committee unanimously agreed to recommend the full Senate confirm Kara Stein and Michael Piwowar as Securities and Exchange Commission members and approve chairman Mary Jo White to serve a full term.

Municipal bond mutual funds continue to hemorrhage money as investor demand remains low.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. has partnered with social media sales platform provider Hearsay Social to help its advisors connect with clients and expand their practices.

Securities America has ramped up the fierce competition for independent advisors, launching a new RIA targeting advisors with between $50 million and $250 million assets under management.

“People are starting to think more strategically about giving,” says Schwab Charitable President Kim Laughton. “It really started last fall. What’s nice is it’s continuing this year.”

BlackRock Inc., the world’s biggest money manager, said second-quarter profit climbed 32% as rising stock markets boosted fees.

Inflows to long-term mutual funds were $1.28 billion for the eight-day period ending Wednesday, July 10, according to the Investment Company Institute.

The division, created in 2001 and made up of affiliated RIA firms who custody their assets with Raymond James, now includes about 100 firms, approximately 250 advisors, and more than $8 billion in assets.

The need for advisors to tackle succession planning decisions now has garnered increasing attention and discussion in recent years. Yet, even as advisors tend to recognize the importance of taking action to prepare, many still have not gotten started.

The Senate Banking Committee will meet Thursday to vote on whether to recommend the Senate confirm two nominees to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kenneth R. Lench, the chief of the structured and new products unit at the SEC’s division of enforcement, is leaving at the end of the month.

Wealth management is “significantly behind” other industries in adopting emerging mobile technology to interact with clients, according to Darrin Courtney, research director for Boston-based CEB TowerGroup. How can advisors change this trend?

USAA Investments has added two new mutual funds to its lineup.

Pimco’s Bill Gross added to holdings of Treasuries in his flagship fund in June while betting incorrectly on gains in U.S. inflation- indexed securities during the first half of the year.