Wealth management

An enforcement action from the Securities & Exchange Commission is a timely reminder to advisors to disclose any financial benefits their firm may receive from the broker-dealer it recommends to clients.

A well-planned gathering can help your firm develop client relationships and strengthen ties with strategic partners.

Several estate planning products were built to address concerns about paying federal estate tax. However, the tax law passed earlier this year may have made these products moot. Advisors need to react before angry clients start calling.

Several provisions affecting advisors contained in President Obama’s budget blueprint drew sharp reactions from many corners of the industry, with groups variously praising measures to increase funding for securities regulators and blasting provisions concerning taxes and retirement planning.

The burgeoning influence of financial advisors in the United States was a repeated observation at this year's Tiburon CEO Summit at New York City's Ritz Carlton in Battery Park. Here are 11 themes we heard at the two-day event encompassing 200-plus executives and advisors.

“As investor confidence grows and perceptions of wealth management firms improves, so do advisor perceptions of their firm, particularly among independent advisors,” the J.D. Power study reported.

A group representing charitable organizations said it is concerned about a proposed cap to the charitable tax deduction included in President Obama's budget plan.

The Wealth Consulting Group, an affiliate of Strategic Wealth Associates, announced it has hired former Major League Baseball athletic trainer Stephen Sayles as a registered representative.

The Financial Services Institute is heralding the advance of legislation in Florida that would significantly ease the registration process for advisors representing firms headquartered in other states.

Royal Alliance is adding wealth management firm JLTD Advisors of Chicago and Integrated Financial Group of Salt Lake City to its hybrid platform.

Advisors rule the financial services industry for now -- but keep an eye on direct-channel “self-serve” distribution, Chip Roame said Tuesday at his firm's semiannual CEO Summit.

Baird has opened a second office in Houston with the addition of a branch manager from UBS and seven advisors from Wells Fargo.

Beacon Pointe is actively looking for more advisory firms with a CPA tie-in as it plots an expansion strategy of reaching 35 to 40 offices around the country in the next 10 years, Cooper says.

Stories about advisors cheating their clients are far from rare, and therefore, advisors must do a better job at educating and appeasing concerns, says Daniel Bernstein, director of research and development of MarketCounsel, a so-called advisor for advisors.

Focusing on a client niche can boost a planning practice. Among high-performing firms with a target client profile, just 3% pursue opportunities outside of that profile (versus 11% for all other firms surveyed), according to the 2012 Fidelity RIA Benchmarking Study.

Advisors' tech priorities -- and needs -- have shifted dramatically over the last 18 months, says Steven Crosby, head of PricewaterhouseCooper’s U.S. wealth management unit.

Dynasty Financial Partners, the fast-growing outsourcing provider for high-end wealth managers and breakaway brokers, is expanding its reach in the Midwest.

New legislation means big changes for estate planning. Here's what you need to consider.

Recent tax changes mean that planners may have to rethink the ways they invest clients' assets.

With a team approach focused on transparency and employee development, Truepoint continues to succeed not just on financial marks but also on the two metrics it tracks: client and employee satisfaction.