Wealth management

The Unified Managed Account Exchange gives RIAs more control over product selection.

The firm is the latest in a string of high-profile financial services firms to adopt the term, all in an effort to take excellent care of their customers and distinguish themselves from competitors.

Frances A. McMorris, On Wall Street’s editor-in-chief, continues her new blog with a closer look at the comments streaming in to the SEC regarding a new fiduciary standard

The independent wealth manager’s move marks another step in its aggressive growth strategy.

The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund reported on Wednesday that its donors made more than 152,000 grants totaling $531 million during the first six months of 2010, the strongest first half for outgoing grants in the Gift Fund’s 19-year history.

U.S Trust hired nine senior wealth management experts to their California, Arizona and Washington operations as part of their wealth management expansion efforts.

Jersey-City based Knight will pay approximately $20 million in cash and stock for Astor when the acquisition is completed in the fourth quarter.

Schwab’s data also indicates a dramatic decline in the size of deals being done.

One in four financial advisors expect clients to increase charitable giving to offset anticipated tax hikes, but only 52% of advisors proactively offer charitable planning advice to their clients, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.

Custodians are in a horserace to provide services to breakaways.

Advisors pass through London monthly, so expansion opportunities are vast.

Fewer of the wealthiest are giving more and small family foundations are giving more than required.

Schwab Charitable reported Thursday it received record annual contributions to its donor-advised fund in fiscal year 2010, driven by the surge in the stock market last year and the conversion of private foundations to donor-advised funds that were less costly and time consuming.

Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., have introduced a proposal to reform the federal estate tax, which temporarily expired this year but is slated to increase to up to 55 percent next year for estates over $1 million.

The San Diego-based company, which announced it was going public in June, hopes to expand its network of financial advisors.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said they are more concerned about their finances today than they were at the beginning of the financial crisis.

Despite feeling the pain of the economic slowdown in 2008, Americans continued to give generously to charities, though few as generously as Warren Buffett who has promised to donate 99% of his riches.

While using technology, advisors expect aggressive growth over the next five years, according to a Schwab study.

Robert S. Matthews worked for Smith Barney and Citigroup for the past 25 years in its global private banking, wealth management and family office services units. He replaced Kevin McCabe, who was president and chief executive officer since Fieldpoint was founded in 2008.

As the rich get richer across the globe, high net worth clients in North America have tightened their grip on their wallets.