Practice management

The Dodd-Frank Act, which was designed to target the largest institutions, will end up hurting community banks, according to a paper released Tuesday by the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Here are five critical things blogger Bill Cates believes advisors should do to turn a referral into a quality introduction.

The tech outsourcer and platform services provider’s second annual conference in Chicago underscored the firm’s rising influence among independent advisors: more than 600 advisors attended, twice as many as last year, and attendance also doubled to 1,100.

Only 12% of employers sponsoring 401(k) plans feel that their employees will be financially prepared for retirement, down from 15% a year ago.

Advisors have a lot to consider when working with Generation Y clients, but it’s a two-way street.

Here's one uncomfortable stat for advisors: 90% of assets transferred to the next generation don't stay with the existing advisor. When it comes to your roster of clients, how do you plan to change that?

Despite the quick growth rate of the financial advisory industry over past 10 years, female advisors haven’t been growing at a comparable rate, according to a study on the gender disparities of the sector.

Gen Y clients may be the next frontier for financial planning, but their low investable assets and risky retention rate aren’t all advisors should be thinking about.

When it comes to retirement, baby boomers are favoring lifestyle choices over wealth preservation, bucking the traditions of the generations that came before them.

The best elevator speech starts with why you do what you do and briefly covers what you do and whom you serve best. Beyond that, Matt Matrisian suggests advisors expand their thinking to create an effective conversation.

For all the hype surrounding social media sites as the next great marketing channel for advisors, a panel of industry leaders warned that the jury is still out on what role tools like Facebook and Twitter will ultimately play in financial-services firms.

The Chicago-based platform provider and outsourcing firm unveiled Envestnet Intelligence, a new content and analytic offering for advisors at its annual Advisor Summit conference in Chicago.

Women and men are equally likely to save for retirement and almost as likely to calculate how much they’ll need.

Legislation that would streamline the registration process for broker-dealers and advisors in Florida is one step closer to becoming law, with the state senate following the lower chamber in voting to approve the measure, which now awaits the governor's signature.

Old assumptions about referrals are mostly wrong, Julie Littlechild told advisors. Here are some of the myths that need busting -- plus four good ways to stimulate referrals.

The Securities and Exchange Commission named Andrew J. Bowden director of its national exam program, replacing Carlo V. di Florio who is leaving next month to join the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

SEC chairman Mary Jo White made no comment Friday on what new reforms for the money market fund industry will come out of her administration, except that its proposal will be “appropriate and balanced.”

The human side of financial planning has been somewhat overlooked among some advisors who have tended to limit their interactions with clients to providing financial advice. The high-touch approach could become a "growing market niche" for advisors.

It’s human nature to size up people and businesses based on what we see and experience during our interactions with them online, in print, or face-to-face. Advisors should use branding to communicate their core values, differentiate themselves from competitors, and reinforce that their products and services are the ones best suited to meet client needs.

Client advisory boards are a great way to get clients and advocates even more engaged in supporting the business. If you are considering developing an advisory board, here are some points to consider from blogger Ken Haman.