Practice management

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday called for more information from industry members and other stakeholders about the potential impact of its proposal to apply a uniform fiduciary standard of care to broker-dealers and investment advisors who provide advice to retail customers.

Now that the March 1 deadline for Congress and the White House to reach a deficit-reduction agreement has lapsed, federal agencies must now begin to absorb $85 billion in automatic spending cuts, but for financial advisors, it could be business as usual, at least for the time being.

When it comes to policing the way brokerages and advisors market themselves, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has turned into RoboCop.

No additional congressional action is planned before the start of the cuts, to be split between defense and non-defense spending. The across-the-board reductions will total $1.2 trillion over nine years, with $85 billion set to take effect in the remaining seven months of this fiscal year.

The Cape May, N.J.-based community bank has a investment services program that would make most rivals envious. And it has a rapidly expanding assets under management to prove it.

It's a five-letter word that packs a powerful punch in the advisor world. If you're "listening down" to your clients, you don't get it. Here's what you need to know.

Think referrals and cross-selling are tough at your bank? Read how wealth management advisor and financial planner Heidi Schmidt handles them at Internet bank USAA Federal Savings.

Smaller banks cannot afford to support high-density branch networks as economic challenges persist.

Since 2008, U.S. Bank has recruited talent from rival firms to lead various regional units of its business. The investment seems to be paying off, as revenues have inched up over the last year.

We asked the experts to help present the concepts of behavioral finance in a practical way. See how their insights can help you in your practice.

Why banks focus more and more on affluent clients — and why they may miss mom and pop investors more than they think.

A run-down of the stories in this issue, including the annual pay scale review.

Compensation plans for 2013 come with new incentives for advisors to strive for growth.

This year's Women Advisor Forum series, which kicks off on May 15 in New York, will include more of the latest lessons from the turf from successful female advisors.

How to walk the fine line between expressing gratitude for a referral and divulging a new client.

Improve your practice by drilling down on your innate skills.

A combination of the right recruitment, development and technology spells success for advisor firms.

For the wealthiest investors, the more assets they have, the less likely they are to give up control over investment decisions to advisors, says a new report.

Fair distribution of awards, not personality mix, leads to success.

HighTower Advisors has steadily worked to carve out a role as an emerging boutique firm through its high-profile advisor recruitment wins. Many prospective hires are attracted after their first home-office visit.