Practice management

Finding the right financial planner can be a confusing process. To simplify the search, the SEC has released a new bulletin that contains tips for finding one. It also contains a list of questions consumers should ask planners - and that all planners should be prepared to answer.

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.

The husband and wife team had lots of experience. They had worked at large mutual fund shops, then struck out on their own .They got to $20 million in assets, mostly from friends and family. Then, he died.

Almost 79% of small business owners believe that their annual revenue will increase or remain unchanged in the next twelve months, according to the findings of Western Union's Small Business Barometer survey.

At 80 million strong, Generation Y represents a bigger opportunity than their Boomer parents for planners. But members of this generation neither think nor behave like their elders, according to a new white paper.

JHS Capital Advisors opens a new office with Mark Hennings as Branch Manager and advisor

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined Merrill Lynch $500,000 for failing to file or promptly file certain required disclosures that the independent regulator argues resulted in hidden investment risks and possible harm to investors.

Known for its cutting edge use of technology, Putnam Investments released a new technology-focused blog specifically for financial advisors on Monday.

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.

While legal experts still question the suit now taken up by Michigan, Oklahoma and South Carolina, their participation helps to build momentum in the legal fight over Dodd-Frank.

The firm has poached two industry veterans from HSBC and Barclays as it looks to expand.

Washington Wealth Management added Domari Wealth Management, a breakaway team from Wells Fargo with $135 million in AUM and $1.4 million in revenue, to its newly formed Woodland Hills, Calif., office.

For those in the business of providing investment advice, the situation in the nation's capital is getting serious. With Washington gridlocked and steeped in uncertainty over a series of tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee met for a joint session to consider a critical and contentious facet of the tax code: capital gains.

A survey from the Oechsli Institute reveals that advisors are underusing the personal aspects of social media to build client rapport.

They represent a bigger opportunity than the Baby Boomer generation and they require new strategies from planners who want to reach them. But, for those planners who can adapt to the preferences and priorities of Generation Y, they could provide a lifetime of new clients.

As PenFed moves investment program back to former third-party marketer CFS, it sets sights on previous AUM mark of $250 million.

The Financial Planning Association and Peak Advisor Alliance, a financial advisor coaching and practice management company, announced on Wednesday a new partnership offering FPA members coaching, content and discounts on Peak services.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has ordered five firms to pay $137,500 in fines for violations of trade reporting and other municipal securities rules.

The agency is targeting Summit Wealth Management, a registered investment advisor, and Angelo Alleca, who is charged with defrauding investors in what the SEC describes as a scheme that sought to conceal losses from trades that went bad through the creation of new private funds that were used to repay the original investors.

Omyen, which is based in Westwood, Mass., specializes in developing technologies for comprehensive financial planning and client education. The technology will be added to the FPA Practitioner Resource Guide, which is a directory of solutions and benefits to help FPA members build their business.