Practice management

Patience is prudent when it comes to Social Security.

Significantly altered results now appear when users search for fee-only advisors.

While the coming fiscal debate looms in the background -- along with probable accompanying market volatility -- there are a number of other possible legislative and regulatory items that also affect the insurance and advisory industry.

Nearly one in five working-age Americans (18%) believe they will never be able to retire, more than the 12% who said so globally.

If traditional marketing is about going out and finding potential clients, inbound marketing is about creating ways for potential clients to find you.

The CFP Board extended a broad amnesty to hundreds of advisors who had been breaking its rules by calling themselves fee-only on the board’s website. The surprise move prompted calls for the board to reconsider and possibly rescind recent sanctions of other CFP holders for similar transgressions.

A complaint filed by the SEC accuses a former Merrill Lynch advisor and his client of making insider trades and hiding profits in offshore accounts.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays Plc, Credit Suisse Group AG and 10 other international lenders were sued by a U.S. credit union regulator alleging they illegally manipulated benchmark Libor interest rates.

Two veteran founders of well-heeled financial planning firms—Richard “Richie” Lee of Lee Financial in Dallas, Texas and Michael Leonetti of Leonetti & Associates in Buffalo Grove, Ill.—readily confess that luck as much as deliberate strategy has contributed to their firms’ success.

Planners have readily adapted to the changing needs of their clients since the recession. Yet they need to engage clients in even more personal, meaningful conversations.

The CFP Board’s strategy of punishing some certificate holders over compensation disclosure issues in what critics charge is an arbitrary manner threatens the future of the CFP designation, according to one of the early leaders of the board who also chaired its disciplinary commission.

One of the biggest value adds advisors can provide is being able to pick up on warning signs that a client's family business may be in trouble. Here are six to look out for.

Exclusive: Without any notice, ‘fee-only’ is replaced with ‘none provided’ on CFP holders’ profiles.

Despite continued economic and market uncertainty, most advisors expect 2013 to be a good year according to a new poll released today by SEI.

Technical malfunctions at stock exchanges around the world are putting their owners’ credit ratings in jeopardy, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Business owners are often so busy with their work they put off personal financial planning and investment decision making.

Culture clash between merging firms can mean the end of even a well-planned deal.

FINRA is pressing ahead with a controversial new rule that would require brokers to make disclosures about recruitment compensation they receive as an enticement to jump to a new firm.

Brokerages from Morgan Stanley to Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch poach salesmen from one another, offering bonuses based on how much revenue they produce. Now brokers receiving bonuses of at least $100,000 will be required to inform clients.

Think you might be bored at your kids' birthday party? Think again. Dave Grant shares three business lessons he learned at his son's recent party.