Practice and client management

Speakers on an "AI & Compliance" panel at Financial Planning's ADVISE AI conference say advisors can use existing basic compliance principles to make sure their AI use doesn't step on any regulatory landmines.

The Oasis Group CEO and founder John O'Connell dazzled his audience at ADVISE AI by showing how artificial intelligence can shave hours off the production of plans, stock analyses, even web pages. But at least one advisor remains skeptical.

During the opening session of Financial Planning's second annual ADVISE AI Conference, the chief financial planning nerd at Kitces.com took stock of where advisors are, and aren't, adopting the technology in their practices.

Resources and personal connections offer significant advantages. But financial advisors and other experts say they only get new RIAs part of the way.

Larry Sprung wasn't looking for love (authors), but he wound up finding a great set of clients.

The choice of buyer and the price get the most attention, but a possible merger of equals and the technology side of the transition could loom large in the strategy.

The Swiss wealth management giant says many of its U.S. clients now "largely rely on other banks for their everyday banking needs."

The SEC hasn't put forward a new rule for advisors' use of AI since dropping a proposal earlier this year. Is the lack of regulation hindering innovation?

The challenge bedevils many heirs' property owners. Here's why experts say it's such a threat and how financial professionals can help guide families through it.

Much like deciding the right client headcount, choosing whether to fire a customer or turn away new business represents an important step in a firm's development.

Dynasty Financial Partners' investment bank joins Diamond Consultants to help departing teams vet transition options, whether that's joining another wirehouse, selling to an RIA aggregator or starting their own business.

Drew Lunt, founder of Scratch Capital in Boise, Idaho, still uses Black Diamond for his portfolio accounting needs, but as his client base expands to more affluent, complicated clients, he has looked outside the industry for solutions.

Step away from the rote 30-second spiel. Instead, forge connections with advisory prospects based on trust, not tactics.

A clear division is emerging between smaller independent RIAs and their larger billion-dollar competitors, as some firms aggressively pursue a "one-stop shop" model for their clientele.

The findings suggest that "crises, behavioral biases and interpersonal conflicts are not fringe topics but core aspects of modern advising," the authors of a study say.

The question ties into so many of the factors that distinguish large and small firms, various client niches and decisions about whether or not to hire staff.

Prepping clients for natural disasters and climate emergencies should start with coverage and end with estate planning.

Allowing artificial intelligence to make investment management decisions poses an organizational threat, according to the majority of advisors in Financial Planning's AI Readiness Survey.

The fact that many financial advisors say they do not provide tax planning belies how much value they may add through that service, according to an expert.