Financial planning

In investors' epic search for yield, one strategy in particular has risen to the top this year: loan participation mutual funds and ETFs.

Investors yanked $28.54 billion from long-term mutual funds were $28.54 billion for the week ended Wednesday, June 26, according to the Investment Company Institute.

The average person checks their phone every 6.5 minutes, according to a recent study by Nokia, and with dozens of apps on the average smartphone, it’s certainly easy to spend your days distracted by Angry Birds and Instagram. Financial advisors, however, pinpoint these smartphone apps as essential in helping to make their businesses and lives more efficient.

While a new report on multifamily offices finds big growth industrywide -- nearly 10% asset growth in 2011, the last year cited -- family office executives said a "primary growth constraint" was the ability to hire dedicated business development professionals.

Asset management deal activity rose during the first four months of this year as compared to a year earlier, according to a new report by Freeman & Co.

The recent market selloff battered municipal bonds unevenly, as those investors holding credits with higher coupons fared the best.

The number of disciplinary actions rose as the regulator invested in new platforms and technology to broaden oversight.

In the current issue of Bank Investment Consultant, contributor Michael White details some of the reasons that thousands of community banks have opted to not offer wealth management services to customers. White says these banks are making a mistake, and uses an analogy to outdated hi-fi audio systems to illustrate their backward thinking. He even offers his analysis in the form of an acronym: HI-FI.

The $2.1 trillion global exchange-traded fund industry has been growing at a rapid clip since the SPDR S&P 500 ETF was launched two decades ago as a means for institutional investors to access passive exposure to the S&P 500 Index.

Eighty percent of investors under the age of 40 don’t feel like they are getting adequate financial advice from their advisors, according to new findings from Cerulli Associates, leaving the doors wide open for asset managers and retirement plan recordkeepers to fill the advice gap.

Non-traditional investment allocations in defined contribution plans, while commonplace in defined benefit pension portfolios, are a rare sight in today's retirement plan lineup.

Should financial advisors leave their smaller accounts behind when they switch firms?

Frustrated by a lack of response from regulators on the “ability to pay” exemption, the industry trade group says it’s going to take action this time.

McRary will be responsible for managing the Boca Raton, Fla.-based independent broker-dealer’s advisor recruitment and transition efforts.

"If an advisor wrote a piece of business and hasn't called the client in over a year, it can't really be considered stealing," says advisor Jeff Arber. Agree?

To continue its expansion in Atlanta, United Capital announced Monday it bought the majority of the assets of Atlanta-based PPA Advisors.

Almost half of CPAs indicated that they offer some kind of financial planning services, but a far smaller number have a formally structured practice with their own Registered Investment Advisor or an affiliation with an outside broker/dealer or RIA, according to a new study.

Mutual fund companies are facing ongoing challenges in overseeing their financial intermediary relationships as omnibus processing and the reliance on FIs continue to increase, according to a new survey by Boston Financial Data Services.

The muni market, reeling from one of the worst selloffs in 25 years this week, witnessed record-breaking outflows to muni bond funds of $4.53 billion for the week of June 26.

In the wake of this week's landmark gay rights decision from the Supreme Court, financial advisors have as many questions as answers for their same-sex clients about how the ruling with impact their wealth management, tax and estate planning.