A strong majority of advisors (86%) said they had acquired more clients than they lost in 2012, according to a new advisor survey from Russell Investments, with nearly a half saying they had brought on more than 10 households. And 87% said they were "optimistic" about acquiring new clients in 2013.

With FINRA clearly stating its social media guidelines, the question many advisors are asking themselves is this: what do I do now? Luckily, there are three simple steps to avoiding regulatory fines and keeping your advisors actively online.

A targeted examination letter probes firms for detailed information on their social media use as the regulator grows more serious about enforcement.

The nation's biggest banks are steeling themselves for a simulated cyberattack that organizers say will feel like the real thing.

Summer is here, and with it, come vacation plans and time away from the office. Elite Advisor Ron Carson says it is also, as an advisor, the best opportunity to educate yourself, connect with peers, reflect on the first half of the year, and share ideas for future growth. Check out some of his favorite apps that have helped him along the way.

For advisors to get the most out of social media requires a strong consistent approach. Marie Swift, the Marketing Maven, offers these six handy strategies

You’ve set up a Twitter account and you know how to tweet, but how can you convert Twitter followers into prospects and then clients? Marie Swift, the Marketing Maven offers tips for Twitter power users.

The movement to integrate previously disconnected applications used on the advisor desktop grabs the “low hanging fruit” opportunity for efficiency – eliminating repeated manual entry of data, but Neal Ringquist says advisors are barely scratching the surface of opportunity.

Scottrade emerged as the top-rated firm in J.D. Power & Associates 2013 U.S. Self-Directed Investor Satisfaction Study, but overall investor satisfaction with self-directed firms declined from last year.

The most common question from advisors about social media used to be “Should I bother?” Now that regulators and compliance departments have provided at least some guidance, the more common questions from advisors involve how to use social media effectively without it becoming a huge time vortex.

Associated Bank plans to use analytics so it can make more appropriate sales pitches and help business clients better manage their affairs.

Advisors with at least some technology integration can perform a whole lot better than RIAs with none, according to a report from Aite Group, the Boston-based research and consulting company.

Regulators are focusing attention on ensuring community banks have proper security systems in place in the wake of a string of cyberattacks on megabanks.

Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services introduced a platform that it hopes will make mergers and acquisitions easier for registered investments advisors.

Regulators have formed a working group to enhance coordination between federal and state banking agencies on cybersecurity.

Could cyberattacks bring down the U.S. financial network? Not only is it possible, it’s already happened to major contributing institutions. Tim McSherry write that, while the motivation behind these attacks are intriguing, what to do about them is more important to address.

A recent study conducted by Bill Fearnley, Jr., for Celent, a research and consulting firm that focuses on the use of information technology in the financial services industry, found that apps are gaining momentum in the sector.

When advisors are ready to transition to a new custodian or broker-dealer, how do they transfer and seamlessly integrate client records into the new firm’s system?

Apps are growing increasingly common among financial planners as a way to remain top-of-mind with clients. Still, some firms have not embraced the technology as quickly as others. The sooner firms roll out their apps the better, because as more employ the technology, the competitive advantage it offers diminishes.

Nomura Securities has begun using a mobile application for asset managers from Nomura Research Institute.