Wealth management

These days, it seems like all the media can talk about is whether or not Republicans and Democrats in Washington can come to an agreement over the so-called “fiscal cliff”. But what exactly is it?

Securities America announced Thursday that managing partner of Kelley & Mullis Wealth Management, Michael Mullis, has become a registered representative with the independent broker-dealer firm.

Managing a team is an important part of an advisor’s growing practice. As an individual advisor’s practice becomes more successful and complex, eventually a team structure becomes necessary.

In part one of our two-part series on long term care planning, we looked at reasons behind long term care avoidance among Americans, according to Genworth’s “2012 State of Planning” survey. In part two, Pyschologist and Money Coach Dr. Barbara Nusbaum provides suggestions on how to put these difficult emotions of fear and anxiety to good use.

According to the 2012 State of Planning Survey commissioned by Genworth, Americans aged 35 and over have many excuses for why they don’t have a plan in place for their future long term care needs. In this first part of our two-part series on long term care planning, we look at reasons behind long term care avoidance among Americans.

Winners of Charles Schwab’s seventh annual Impact Awards were announced Thursday at Schwab’s Impact conference in Chicago. Walter Bettinger, Schwab president and chief executive officer, and Bernie Clark, executive vice president and head of Schwab Advisor Services, took the stage to present the three awards.

Charles Schwab's Advisor Services group is planning to launch an internship program next year to help registered investment advisory firms develop and find new talent.

One could only imagine what George Jefferson — the wise-cracking character who was “movin’ on up” on the 1970's TV hit, The Jeffersons — would have said about this predicament. The body of actor Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson, has been kept on ice for the last 3 1/2 months.

The Schwab IMPACT 2012 Conference opened Tuesday in Chicago. The annual gathering of independent investment advisors, now in its 21st year, will go on through Friday bringing together the industry’s best and brightest advisors.

“The financial advisor is critical, as he or she has the job of opening the estate and trust accounts," Peter Lang wrote in a white paper. "This can only be done once the will has been probated, the executor has been appointed, and a Tax Identification Number has been issued by the IRS.”

Level Four Group, a Plano, Texas, based advisory firm with close to $1 billion in assets under management has moved from Lincoln Financial to LPL in a bid to grow by using the LPL platform and name to increase its stable of advisors.

Beacon Pointe Wealth Advisors announced the addition of its third advisor partner, $130 million AUM RIA Wealth Management Network of Newport Beach, Calif. today. This marks the third deal in the last year and a half for national advisory partnership firm BPWA.

So, you are working in a wirehouse now, how does independence look for you if you launch your own RIA?

Just as the cobbler's children go without shoes, two-thirds of independent advisors ignore succession planning. Such advisors could fall into an “annuity trap,” watching the value of their business degrade as they near the exit from their practice.

LPL Financial has added well-known wealth management firm MACRO Consulting of Parisippany, N.J., with $650 million in AUM and five advisors, who left independent broker dealer SII Investments for its larger rival.

Compliance is an issue every advisory firm has to deal with, but is your firm adequately prepared to execute effective compliance strategies?

The election results, while no surprise, have pretty much left us where we were in terms of tax policy, according to Roger Harris, president of Padgett Business Services.

If there is a constant in the investment advisory landscape, it’s change. And few things are changing faster than the independent sphere.

Evercore Partners Inc., the advisory firm founded by Roger Altman, agreed to purchase Mt. Eden Investment Advisors LLC, a San Francisco-based wealth manager with $645 million in client assets.

As social media increasingly becomes the preferred medium of communication for clients, it is in the best interest of advisors to develop a successful blogging strategy to keep existing clients close (and prospective clients coming.)