Financial planning

The weeks following the November Presidential election that will run up to an impending fiscal cliff, where tax hikes and budget cuts come due, can be summed up with one word: volatility, according to new research from Cetera Financial Group. But both a Democrat or Republican presidential victor will likely have a sway on the markets. Here's a look at how Cetera sees certain sectors faring after the November election.

Before choosing an advisor, Ed Slott believes every client should ask these 10 important questions. (And some top advisors weigh in with their best answers.)

In a bullish sign for the planning industry., Financial Planning's Retirement Advisor Confidence Index - a monthly barometer of business conditions for wealth managers - rose in October.

It's a reminder that advisors need to ensure their clients don't venture into the muddy waters of the prohibited-transaction rules.

The Financial Planning Association announced the winners of its top awards, which will be presented at its annual conference in Texas. The FPA honored David M. King, with its 2012 P. Kemp Fain, Jr. Award; retirement researcher Wade D. Pfau with the inaugural Montgomery-Warschauer Award; and 10 influencers in the profession with Heart of Financial Planning Awards. Check out more information on each of the honorees.

Many advisory firms turn to marketing to expand their practice, but few firms are able to develop an effective strategy. Here are five ways to leverage marketing for optimal growth, according to the 2012 FA Insights Study of Advisory Firms: Growth by Design.

With all the buzz about building a social media presence, it's still all about getting in front of a prospect. The Linked-In introduction process outlined by Kevin Nichols of the North Carolina-based Oechsli Insitute prescribes six steps to identify a potential client through LinkedIn and then score that face-to-face meeting.

After working under one of the most successful advisors in the financial planning industry, Matthew Halloran took time, studied, read, and reviewed all of the top financial advisors he worked with over the years and found ten things are the keys to being a top advisor.

Growth is essential to the advisory industry, but not all growth is good. Rather than letting growth take advantage of you, it is time to strive for sustainability.

To what do the nation's high net worth investors owe their wealth? In a recent survey from Spectrem Group, millionaires ranked on a scale of one to five what they believed were the key factors in building up their bank account. Was it hard work? Or were they just at the right place at the right time?

Wall Street firms turned out in force Tuesday night to celebrate a political development that for some hit close to home: the one-year anniversary of the repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays serving in the military. Photos: Mason Braswell

Thinking of integrating video into your website? Or maybe you're curious about starting a YouTube channel? Or maybe the idea of foraying into video makes you terrified. Whatever your stance, video is undoubtedly becoming a popular trend among advisors. It's a trend that is helping advisors communicate with clients in new ways, while expanding their reach to prospects.

Advisors who stay stuck in their comfort zone may have a neat and tidy life, but, it will simply be a fraction of what it could be had they continued to evolve and max out their God-given lifetime capability. Best-selling author Steve Sanduski shares 9 ways advisors can continue to evolve and reap great benefits, both personally and professionally.

Are you in a red state or blue state? Or purple? It may affect which investment products you want to offer.

The iPad has revolutionized the financial services industry. Here's a deeper dive into some of the specific ways advisors and wealth managers can use the iPad to improve their business.

To become more successful, most small business owners must begin by acknowledging all of the areas in which their business falls short. For independent advisors, and many entrepreneurs, this can be a tough thing to assess. Never fear: Four key custodians offer four simple ways to improve your business.

As the election approaches, advisors and their firms are watching closely. There's a lot at stake from tax reform to healthcare and the fiscal cliff, so it's no surprise that many banks and their CEOs are dropping their two cents (or $200,000) in the political piggy bank. But who's giving where?

August marks the end of the dog days of summer. Here's a closer look at 10 stocks that sent traders back to work in a sour mood.

August marks the end of the dog days of summer. Here's a closer look at 10 stocks that made some noise last month.

The Internal Revenue Service's list of the most common errors it sees from taxpayers and paid preparers on tax returns is a sobering reminder that nobody is perfect. Here's what the IRS had to do to fix the most prevalent mistakes.