In May, the SEC announced that it would not fight a March 30 ruling by the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals to vacate Rule 202—the broker/dealer exemption (a.k.a. the “Merrill Lynch Rule”
As the job of branch managers grows increasingly complex, brokerage firms are grappling with questions about how their managers should be compensated. At many firms, branch managers are no longer compensated on a...
Over the years, bank-based brokerages haven't posed much of a threat to Wall Street firms' pursuit of high-net-worth individuals. Most bank brokerages had pretty limited offerings: your basic line of annuities, life...
It is a question virtually every branch manager will one day face: What do you do when a top-tier producer decides it’s time to leave the branch and the firm?
With the Wachovia purchase of A.G. Edwards (for $6.8 billion) in the fourth quarter, it’s not just A.G. Edwards reps (some of whom fear that the AGE corporate culture will change) who are worried. So are...
With the Wachovia purchase of A.G. Edwards (for $6.8 billion) in the fourth quarter, it’s not just A.G. Edwards reps (some of whom fear that the AGE corporate culture will change) who are worried. So are...
Having had time to digest the March ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that overturned SEC Rule 202—the so-called “Merrill Lynch” rule—branch office managers still...
During his 20-year career in the brokerage business, Stuart Silverman says he saw a significant void in the industry. He felt there was such a formidable gap between the captive and independent worlds that it was...
Advisors have been retiring for years, of course. But now, with the huge baby boom cohort beginning to head for the exits, the issue is a big one, to wit: How to help older brokers keep their businesses alive? What is...
