Recruiting

RBC pulls $1.2B and $705M teams from rivals, Merrill gets a $420M duo, and several large M&A deals close.

Matthew Madera has become the latest former JPMorgan private client advisor to be sued after leaving for another firm. In a recent stipulated order, he agreed to stop soliciting former clients until the dispute can be resolved.

The Couch Group's return to Morgan Stanley is the latest evidence that UBS hasn't been able to stop the recent wave of advisor departures.

The Ensemble Practice's annual RIA compensation survey suggests that firms are paying a pretty penny for financial advisors but reaping healthy profits.

Also, an Ex-Truist/Balentine duo start an RIA, Raymond James grabs a team from Wells Fargo and Janney names a new head of advisor recruiting.

Scott Posner, who's in charge of advisor and institutional recruitment as LPL's business development head, on why LPL leads in advisor "capture" at a time when fewer teams are switching firms.

LPL CEO Rich Steinmeier said the firm is nearing its goals for retaining Commonwealth Financial Network's assets and advisors, freeing up internal recruiters to bring in advisors from other firms.

Wells Fargo pulls $722M in AUM from Merrill while Osaic adds a $540M team from Primerica (but gets sued); Stifel sells independent unit, and First Clearing names new head.

When an analyst asked about Fifth Third's $11 billion deal to buy rival Comerica, CEO Jim Cracchiolo mentioned the seller's Ameriprise "contract and agreements."

Unpopular compensation changes at UBS continue to drive advisor attrition, costing the firm billions in client assets. But despite the outflows, executives say the new policy is helping improve UBS' profits.

Wells Fargo also pulls from Merrill and Raymond James again from Commonwealth, while AlphaCore buys up a big RIA and the FPA gets a new CEO.

Industry compliance experts say there are few more complicated decisions than knowing when to leave a firm and start your own advisory practice. The government shutdown is making it worse.

Despite a slowdown in advisor recruitment from the first half of the year, Stifel managed to achieve record revenue for the third quarter.

JPMorgan Chase's absorption of First Republic after the 2023 regional banking crisis has finally dealt its last blow to the giant custodian's asset flows.

Also remarkable: the size of the teams that are leaving and the types of firms benefiting from the defections, a new report from Diamond Consultants finds.

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf also points to investments into the firm's independent channel as helping to retain advisors and curtail departures to other firms.

Though advisors keep heading for the door following the sale of Commonwealth, industry analysts believe LPL Financial can still hit its post-purchase goals for retaining assets and headcount.

It may be tempting to hire a "2.0 version" of a departing employee, but doing so risks reinforcing stale processes and mindsets.

Rick Meyers, head of client and advisory at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, looks to recruiting, training and possibly even acquisitions to further the firm's wealth management ambitions.

But Commonwealth Financial Network retains its appeal, pulling a team from Morgan Stanley, while LPL draws a large practice from RBC.