Practice management

While the banking industry clearly has momentum on its side in the fight to delay a rule that would limit debit interchange fees, time for Congress to act is rapidly running out.

Over the next few weeks B of A plans to roll out revised versions of smartphone apps, with more of a focus on under-the-hood improvements than on flashy new features.

Financial advisors Ian Jones and Peter Jones will focus on the Taft-Hartley market.

I have a very simple question to ask all of you. Suppose, by some miracle, that you were given an extra two hours a week to spend in your office. How would you spend that time?

Forget reinventing the wheel. Just copy what other top producers are doing. Better yet, hire a coach who has already identified those “best practices” and then pay them a fee to share the ideas and hold you accountable for implementing them. Is that really the key to success as an advisor?

49% of respondents to the PricewaterhouseCoopers study said they find it difficult to meet their household expenses on time, up from 43% a year earlier.

There are rumors the administration is working on a "package" and will present a slate of nominees for financial services jobs soon. Let's hope so. But what's taking so long?

According to the FINRA survey, in addition to these worries, fewer than half of current retirees said they were working with a financial professional to handle their retirement assets. Only one in five reported having a written plan for retirement.

A decade after its launch, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's 401(k) platform for small businesses is approaching 1 million participants — and it's expanding beyond its signature 401(k) focus.

The combination of extortion and the use of threats to air an alleged extramarital affair against a state official is probably not the best way to win an investment contract at the New York State Common Retirement Fund.

Sometimes, advisors can build a better business by avoiding discussing business altogether.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced Tuesday it suspended indefinitely Pinnacle Partners Financial Corp., of San Antonio, Texas, and its president, Brian K. Alfaro, for failing to comply with a FINRA temporary cease and desist order “prohibiting their fraudulent misrepresentations.”

The FDIC engaged in an activity that paints an alternate history detailing how it might have handled the collapse of Lehman Bros. if its new reform powers had been in place.

With the shift, MSSB has hired J.P. Morgan Chase’s Jeff Hack as chief operating officer.

Most financial advisors do an outstanding job of building and maintaining relationships with their wealthiest clients but all too often fail to deliver the full buffet of financial services these highly coveted and well-healed clients want and need.

Raymond James announced Monday that it hired Martin Gelb and Sonya Gelb Choeff. The father-daughter team joined the new Miami Beach branch of Raymond James.

Every communication is an opportunity to reinforce your positioning, market your firm and your build your brand. Yes, you really are marketing, whether you think so or not. Might as well do it right.

A need for higher-level support than interns could provide and a desire to help bright young people develop into full- fledged financial planners were the motivations behind a unique training program at Cornerstone Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Edina, Minn.

Robert Kerzner, president and CEO of LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global opened the 2011 Retirement Industry Conference with a plea to insurance professionals to familiarize themselves with the tools and sales and marketing techniques required to attract younger investors to their firms and products.

Taking advantage of opportunities will enable life insurers to play catch-up to the success mutual fund companies are enjoying, says LIMRA/LOMA CEO.