Practice management

Bank of America should pay the maximum penalty of $863 million for selling defective loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, given the egregiousness of the fraud, U.S. prosecutors told a federal judge.

Firms need technology resources and budget allocation if they want to create a social media program for their advisors.

Social media marketing is a key component in an effective inbound marketing strategy, but it’s important to capture the right “voice” on your social media sites.

Demand is high for experienced executives across all channels. While advisor migration to independent RIAs remains the dominant trend, large wirehouse and bank players are also very much in the game for talent.

“We’re not maniacally focused on how many advisors we have affiliated with the firm,” says Scott Curtis, president of Raymond James Financial Services.

Commentary: The U.K. is debating putting a 0.75 percent cap on total fees, including an outright ban on any plans that charge more than that.

Detroit’s offer to replace a $3.5 billion unfunded pension liability with a $2 billion note “was not a serious proposal,” according to a Greenhill & Co. adviser hired by a city employee retirement fund.

A former JPMorgan Chase banker who managed Bernard Madoff’s account said the con man was on track to receive a $200 million loan less than a month before his arrest if the request hadn’t been dropped.

Janet Yellen, vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board and President Obama's pick to run the central bank, will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Nov. 14.

State securities regulators have been ramping up examinations of investment advisors in the aftermath of the Dodd-Frank Act, which required more than 2,000 midsized advisors who had been overseen by the feds to register with state authorities.

What are the unique questions your target market should be asking themselves? Because of almost universal access to information, if the clients fully understood their problem or their questions they would have little need for an advisor.

Currencies and commodities were added to a list of financial products and related activities that are subject to investigation, according to a regulatory filing published by the New York-based company today.

In addition to an advisor shortage, bank programs will contend with the challenge of keeping up with technology and client expectations regarding communication practices.

The firm settled legal disputes with federal regulators tied to mortgage-backed securities for about $335 million.

The firms will be studied by U.S. regulators who are in the early stages of reviewing whether asset managers pose a potential risk to the financial system, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Advisors can do a better job when it comes to preparing team members to succeed.

Paul Cahill from Virtus Investment Partners notes that 10% returns were a reality for previous generations—but not anymore

Goldman Sachs Group, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are among Wall Street firms still catering to SAC Capital Advisors after the hedge fund agreed to plead guilty to insider trading charges.

The sixth-largest U.S. bank by assets said it may be sued by American International Group over mortgage-backed securities that the insurer purchased before the financial crisis.

Some advisors worry that the new rules could inspire an irrational enthusiasm.