Practice management

Cambridge founder CEO Eric Schwartz is making big plans to preserve the firm's independence and viability for the long term - by giving away control now.

Some advisors are great at strategic planning for others, but never plot out an ideal future for themselves.

If clients look at their access to you as one of the most valuable aspects of working with your firm, how much value is left in the firm when you leave and how will you ever have enough time? This is the “access to principals” paradox, says referral expert Steve Wershing.

Mike Boosel of Baird turned a part-time teaching gig, helping seniors learn about retirement planning, into a lucrative source of clients.

While the regulatory reform effort is likely to continue on its current path if Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve Board's vice chairman, is tapped to lead the central bank, the future is decidedly murkier if Larry Summers wins the post.

"Videos often get judged immediately by viewers, and let's be honest -- personal finance videos are not the coolest things to watch," says Dave Grant. Here are some tips to help improve your video marketing.

UBS AG, the Swiss lender that’s shrinking its investment banking business to focus on wealth management, said it has a business relationship with as many as eight out of 10 billionaires in Asia.

Once you've identified the risks and opportunities among your female client base, it's time to take action to better serve female clients. Here are four key strategies to consider.

For any number of reasons, clients sometimes want to prevent their inheritors from draining their IRA accounts right after they die. LPL Financial is joining a handful of other firms in offering a turnkey product -- a so-called inherited “trusteed IRA” -- for advisors to use in these situations.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board will issue two concept releases next month, one seeking public comment on whether to develop a best execution rule and another requesting input on enhancing post-trade data reporting and developing standards for collecting and disseminating pre-trade information.

Older clients create three major challenges for advisors. If planners aren't analyzing their client base and preparing response strategies, they risk jeopardizing the future of their business.

There are steps you can take to increase the possibility of a successful, long-term hire. Here is a six-step process that can serve as a best-practice standard for hiring.

The U.S. economic expansion is “two-speed,” favoring those who are already well-off financially, said Vincent Reinhart, the chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley.

Forthcoming federal rules could require all investment advisors to implement formal anti-money laundering programs -- a shift that would bring RIAs under a similar regulatory regime as that governing broker-dealers, mutual fund complexes and other financial institutions.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took seven enforcement actions and freed 13 banks from orders in June, according to a list of regulatory actions released Friday.

Most advisors continue to check in with phone and email messages and continue to do some work even while on vacation. Dave Grant shares the steps he took to completely cut himself off from work for a family vacation.

What do you think? Is the younger generation breaking down the barriers and being more honest about their thoughts and feelings about money?

Sheryl Garrett says privately held firm or group, such as Vanguard or NAPFA, or a major benefactor, would be ideal match for her low-fee firm.

Many advisors are eager to find new clients, but not sure where to start. Dave Grant says prospective clients can turn up anywhere.

The Federal Reserve Board will be expanding its yearly stress-test exercise next year to include 11 more bank holding companies, bringing the total to 29 firms.