Enhancing the Affluent Client Experience

Apr 05, 2012

Many financial advisors fail to consistently provide their affluent clients with the high level of service that they claim to offer. Advisors who take the concept of “client experience” seriously develop what I refer to as a client...

THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR: How To Find the Best ETFs

Apr 04, 2012

First, you need to determine the category or sector to which you want exposure.

DUE DILIGENCE: Rebuked In $10 Million Comp Case, Merrill Fires Back

Apr 04, 2012

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration panel ruled Tuesday that Merrill must pay $10 million to two brokers, Meri Ramazio and Tamara Smolchek, for preventing them from collecting deferred compensation when they left after Bank of...

YIELD OF DREAMS: Can American Funds Win Back Advisors?

Apr 04, 2012

American Funds, which has notoriously and historically been media-shy, is now trying to change that, at least with advisor-facing publications. And there’s good reason for the change.

DUE DILIGENCE: Stockbrokers, Clients Thrive in Fiduciary States

Apr 04, 2012

Critics of a fiduciary standard for stockbrokers beware: A recent study released in early March suggests that application of a fiduciary standard to the broker/dealer model wouldn’t have the terrible...

Advisors Needed in Tulsa?

Apr 04, 2012

New studies turn up some surprising locales as the best cities to set up a wealth management practice.

Caution: Contents May Be Hot

Apr 03, 2012

Innovation is a constant in the world of investing. New spins on old ideas are forever being dreamt up by product departments most of them are meant to make lots of money for the people who sell them and the investors who buy them. Not all of them...

It’s Official: Morgan Keegan Advisors Now Work for Raymond James

Apr 02, 2012

Raymond James Financial announced this morning that it has closed the deal to purchase regional firm Morgan Keegan from Regions Financial Corp. for $1.2 billion in cash. The combined firm will have 6,500 advisors and $372 billion in total client...

Call In... The Specialists

Apr 02, 2012

Niches are beautiful As markets change and the financial advisory industry demands new services, advisor teams that have the right skills and are paying attention can position themselves as the next go-to practice. There's this push for...

Concert Breaks Into the Hybrid Market Via LPL Partnership

Apr 02, 2012

RIA aggregator Concert Advisor Services has launched a new hybrid platform, Concert Advisors, and partnered with independent broker/dealer LPL Financial to provide brokerage and custody services.