Wealth management

If you want to keep them on track, forget nitty-gritty details and focus on these six major themes.

Thomas Lee, the creator of the GIVE Strategy, explains how you can use the new tax deal to grow your practice.

Change is the name of the game in 2013. A new report from Aite Group looks at the major trends that could dominate the wealth management industry this year.

This year, Duran said the company plans to aggressively expand its business model, and its brand -- aiming to look more like Starbucks and less like rivals HighTower and Dynasty Financial.

As the RIA industry grows and reshapes itself, advisors need to keep an eye on the shifting competitive landscape. In our annual RIA Leaders report, in addition to identifying the top 50 firms by AUM and by growth, Financial Planning ran the numbers to find 50 emerging fee-only RIA firms to watch.

You can use a well-organized advisory board to get strategic advice from the people who are your most valuable assets. Here are a few suggestions for running a group.

Though many advisors say that they want to boost client satisfaction, most don’t know how to make it happen. By taking the right steps to keep your clients highly satisfied, you will be able to position your practice for stronger growth.

Jenni Rivera was a singer-songwriter, actress and Telemundo TV star who died tragically and now her estate will be as rocky as her life.

Zero Alpha Group, an alliance of independent advisory firms, is zeroing in on the next generation of members’ prospective leaders. The group has formed the Zero Leadership Institute, hoping for positive results.

Changes in the independent advisory industry, shifting demographics and advances in technology make the ability to communicate your value critical to your success, according to Tom Nally, president of TD Ameritrade Institutional.

Continuing its rapid expansion, CapTrust Financial Advisors, a large Raleigh, S.C. registered that serves private and institutional investors, acquired Freedom One Financial Group. Freedom One provides retirement plan and investment advisory services to companies in emerging markets.

So much research comes out this time of year with many major firms cautiously offering their predictions for the new year that we wondered how they would stack up on the major issues. We’ve parsed through some of the larger reports from Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, UBS, ING and Wells Fargo to track the top themes and condense it down. Here are some of their more interesting recommendations on global themes as well as some more local, unique investment ideas that they had to offer.

Advisors continue to flock to the RIA business model, making it the fastest-growing corner of the financial services industry. However, even as they do, more than ever are hanging onto commission income, despite the risks it poses to acting as full fiduciaries.

Here’s a sampling of bank reps who were recently promoted or moved to new organizations to assume roles of greater responsibility.

Securities America has completed its second broker-dealer transition in the past 30 days and added 30 advisors in Washington, Iowa.

For RIAs who want to ensure clients that their firm will endure to serve their children and grandchildren, a robust internal succession plan is critical. One way to do that is to eliminate outside ownership conflicts, argues the founder and CEO of one leading RIA firm.

Focus Financial has snapped up a big Seattle wealth management firm.

“It’s a good time to be an advisor,” said IRA Expert Ed Slott. “There’s a tremendous opportunity now because you have certainty.”

Independent Financial Partners, a Tampa, Fla., based registered investment advisory firm, has launched IFP Insurance Group.

The impact of last week’s tax accord in Congress -- officially known as the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 -- is likely to be far wider and more complex than many have imagined. And many of these complexities will directly impact financial advisors.