Practice management

Marketing expert Marie Swift says savvy financial advisors know that they must create an effective program that engages leads, builds rapport and converts prospects into lifelong clients. Here’s how one savvy financial planner is doing just that.

Executives from BlackRock, Vanguard, JPMorgan Chase, and Invesco met with SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro to talk about money market reforms.

The former SEC enforcement lawyer who later tried to defend convicted Ponzi scheme operator Allen Stanford has been blocked from practicing before the commission.

A House Financial Services Committee will begin hearing testimony for and against a controversial bill that would shift regulatory oversight of investment advisors from the SEC to a self-regulatory organization such as FINRA.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority reviewed enforcement case trends at its annual conference in Washington, D.C. this week. Here are 25 top cases from its files.

Majority of workers surveyed plan to put off retirement until after 65, and then find retirement work.

In cases where an advisor has created a financial plan for a client, Advisor Access now features a hyperlink to the Goal Planning & Management component powered by MoneyGuidePro.

Whether it's Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, financial advisors need a handy resource to keep them abreast of all the latest rules and trade secrets to capitalize on the social media frenzy without running afoul of the regulators. Here's everything wealth managers need to know.

When it comes to financial planning advice in the social media arena, less is almost always more. Here's what wealth managers need to do (and not do) to service their clients while staying within the regulatory boundaries.

Seven tips come in daily under the program that started in August. Thomas Sporkin, director of market surveillance at the SEC, says two to three each day are high quality.

Asset management companies can anticipate regulatory focus to intensify as implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act progresses - and not just from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“If the phone rings and you cringe, it’s time for that client to go. Life is too short, we’re too good at what we do,” Rigas told audience members at the Women Advisors Forum conference in Dallas on Tuesday. “There is a rookie out there, there is somebody else that will be really, really happy to serve that client.”

More and more planners need to start taking advantage of this powerful medium, says social media expert Amy McIlwain, but how?

Advisors seeking to help older Americans prepare for retirement should remember to keep one tip in mind: avoid using the word “retirement.”

“I feel like a therapist sometimes,” says Patricia Barrett, one of the five speakers on the Remember the Alimony panel of divorce experts at the Women Advisors Forum in Dallas. “I took mediation training at the University of Houston School of Law. They really emphasized listening, looping back and repeating back to people."

Talk coffee, not college savings plans. That avoids potential compliance issues. Besides, visitors to social media sites are coming to learn about who you are, not what you sell.

After Ann Hughes took over a struggling annuities wirehouse division, she learned six lessons about loyalty and success that every financial advisor can apply to their practice.

Advisors should encourage their clients to take advantage of current gifting opportunities, now that individuals can give others cash gifts up to $13,000 tax-free.

Majority of workers surveyed plan to put off retirement until after 65, and then find retirement work.

Successful advisors have more efficient practices, they keep up to speed on products and trends, are better positioned to withstand uncertain markets, and they are better prepared to handle specific economic challenges like low interest rates, according to Cara Farchione, manager of retirement solutions for Raymond James.