Independent BDs

A recent coaching seminar has me recalibrating my understanding of practice management. You may need to adjust yours, too.

Three advisors were stripped of their CFP designations, 13 were suspended and seven were publicly admonished for technical infractions.

An advisor's move to HighTower sheds light on an issue that bedevils those making the transition: Whether to risk losing partners -- and possibly clients.

CEOs, when questioned in recent earnings calls, offered first impressions of the impacts the proposal may have on the industry.

The company's Private Client Group reported a 2% decline in quarterly profits as the firm continued to ramp up its advisor recruiting.

The firm's wealth management division also reported that pretax operating earnings rose 16% from a year ago.

About a quarter of fee-only advisory firms we surveyed in February said they had changed their fee structure in the past year (as did 20% of all independent firms). So what did they do? We combed through respondents' individual comments to identify several of the changes firms have made.

"We're betting on financial advisors and personalized financial advice delivered by people," says RJFS President Scott Curtis.

After selling Cetera for a rich $1.15 billion, Donald Marron's Lightyear Capital picks up a $4.7 billion hybrid RIA.

Three advisors left the wirehouse to join the independent brokerage network at Wells Fargo.

Behind the accounting errors that knocked $4 billion off American Realty Capital Properties' market value was a hidden scheme that generated more than $900 million in managers’ fees and bonuses, investors said in a lawsuit against the company.

An arbitration panel granted the wirehouse's request for damages for breach of contract, but the award fell short of the original $1.4 million the firm sought.

Quartet of advisors with $175M in AUM joins Raymond James' independent operation.

Some of the proposed exemptions could be so expansively interpreted that they permit the egregious conduct that bona fide fiduciary standards are designed to constrain.

The proposed consolidated database would bring together BrokerCheck and IAPD and include data on unregistered financial professionals across the industry.

The fast evolution of technology has many industry leaders trying to figure out whether robo advisors are a threat, a tool or something else entirely.

Once known just for CRM, the company has since built out a broader cloud-based suite of tools. Joel Bruckenstein checks out the new offering.

Stifel's CEO says his firm is enlarging its footprint in the independent space because clients are migrating there.

New Hampshire wants LPL to pay $3.6 million in a fine, other costs and restitution, following millions LPL already has paid to FINRA and Massachusetts.

The firm recruited three advisors to its employee and independent channels from rivals Edward Jones, Wells Fargo and MetLife Securities.