Practice management

Decision making is a major part of financial planning and the more advisors understand it, the better off clients will be.

It took four years of dreaming, and nine months of late nights and hard planning, but now it’s real. Dave Grant is running his own RIA and he's taking us along for the journey.

The threat of cyberattack is an increasingly hot topic in Washington, but political interest alone appears unlikely to provide enough momentum to get cybersecurity legislation supported by banks passed this year.

Advisors have heard the message loud and clear: Mobile matters. But for all but the most technology savvy advisors, coming up with a mobile app for clients is no easy matter. Here's what you need to know before launching that essential app.

As the baby boom population ages and average life expectancies climb higher, financial advisors must tackle one more topic in their conversations with clients: elder care. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is now giving its advisors a new tool to help clients who need help caring for loved ones.

Around 200 female financial planners attended the Women Advisors Forum in New York City earlier this month. Sessions covered topics ranging from practice management and acquisition strategies to the benefits of developing a niche and ways to bring more women planners into the industry. Check out some highlights from the event.

As more investors manage money with so-called direct providers, many advisors -- whether they're in the RIA or wirehouse spaces -- worry they'll be left in the dust

For financial advisory firms, branding can be a balancing act between the strength of individual advisor’s brand and the larger, unified brand of the firm.

Kara M. Stein and Michael S. Piwowar, both senior U.S. Senate aides, were nominated by President Obama to join the SEC.

Can you say “no” to referral prospects? Bill Cates says it is a critical skill if you want to expand your practice.

A House subcommittee Thursday looked at draft bills that would slow down the progress that the SEC is making toward implementation of a new, uniform fiduciary standard for broker-dealers and investment advisors.

Many financial advisors struggle with the issue of efficiency and complain they simply don’t have enough time to execute new ideas in their practice because they are so busy managing clients. Ken Haman says advisors spend too much time responding to incoming telephone calls from clients—in fact, prioritizing the demands of various clients above their own business priorities. Its time for all of that to change.

A generation of millennials faces a slew of challenges in trying to save for retirement.

Rick Ketchum, CEO of FINRA, announced that the regulator will discuss a proposal at its board meeting in July that would require brokers to publicly disclose the compensation they receive when switching firms.

If there is no silver bullet, what actions should be taken by an advisor who wants to grow his or her business? Put simply, give clients what they need, and they will give you what you need.

Building your own business, even with a team of experts behind you, requires making tough decisions regarding resources, clients and employees. But most of all it requires leadership. Dynasty's CEO Shirl Penney offers a few lessons his firm has learned as it continue to build a business.

With markets at near historic highs, investor confidence still lags. Both regulators and financial firms share the responsibility to do something about it, said Richard Ketchum, CEO of FINRA on Tuesday.

Former three-term Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's new chief executive officer, said Monday that he wants to improve the image of the industry and make sure Dodd-Frank rules are focused and not overly burdensome.

Hackers backed by China's military appear to have resumed a campaign of cyberattacks on U.S. businesses. The targets, which in previous attacks included financial firms, are thought to remain the same.

Advisors have not done enough to prepare the majority of wealthy investors for long-term care costs and financial support for extended family, according to a study conducted by U.S. Trust, a unit of Bank of America.