Practice management

Robo advisors are gaining traction, especially among millennial investors, who are very sensitive to competitive pricing. Extensive automation will be needed to defend against them.

Grading clients on actions they have taken over the years can be valuable in helping advisors know where to expend their energy.

A yearly withdrawal of 4% of savings, adjusted by inflation every year, may sometimes outperform annuities; Plus, five critical mistakes people make with Social Security.

Although the 4% initial withdrawal rule has historically done well for retirees, it may not always produce the same results; Plus, tips for retirement savings and why bonds should be a part of your client's portfolio.

Pershing CIO Ram Nagappan offers a framework to help advisors think about how to transform their businesses to digital.

Wealth management is still a work in progress and must be sculpted to meet the demands of wealthy individuals, says Sebastian Dovey of Scorpio Partnership.

Advisors who defect from wirehouses notice almost immediately the benefits of no longer facing constraints set by a large employer's compliance officers. But the newly independent advisors must ensure that they stay within the boundaries of regulatory requirements and that compliance never becomes too time-consuming.

Some breakaway advisors duplicate some of the rah-rah found at their former employers, others relish the newfound informality, but either way, they get to set the tone.

With roughly half of American marriages ending in divorce, advisors are likely to find themselves helping clients navigate the process. Financial advisor and divorce expert Michelle Fox warns advisors not to make clients promises they may not be able to keep.

The promise of a multimillion-dollar contract won’t be a factor in whether Tim Duncan returns for his 19th National Basketball Association season, even though the San Antonio Spurs’ All-Star lost more than $20 million to what he says is a dishonest financial adviser.

“The ‘couples conundrum’ is a real risk for financial advisors, who need to get closer to couples and make a deeper connection with them,” says Jennifer Pedigo, managing director for TIAA-CREF Asset Management.

The wirehouse pulled in recruits from rival firms UBS, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Barclays.

Labor Secretary tells skeptical lawmakers fiduciary proposal is a needed investor protection, as industry representatives contend rules would force them out of retirement segment.

The new recruits had a combined $277M in client assets before making the move to the firm's employee and independent channels.

As advisors, women listen better; as clients, they want to be heard. On both counts, the time is now for women in the advisory industry.

How to help women in junior roles take the steps to become successful independent advisors.

The brokerage model as the industry knows it may be pushed aside by a future fiduciary standard.

Complacency is the latest threat facing federal employees.

Major corporate pension funds incurred an investment return of 9.7% from their hedge-fund investments last year, lower than 13.7% earnings and dividends posted by the S&P 500; Plus, how much of a client retirement portfolio belongs in bonds.

Debra Ann Paton worked in the brokerage unit of First Tennessee Bank in Johnson City, Tenn. She was expelled for allegedly filing phony expense reports.