In this section we present key findings and insights from our survey questions on practice management and operations, including services offered, the most time-consuming activities, professional designations, custody relationships and documentation trends.
You’ve heard of the “Bull Markets, Bear Knees” theory. It goes like this: When you want to know which way the equity market is headed, watch the direction of women’s dresses. In the late 19th century and early part of the...
Brokers are bitter—and for good reason. Since the sub-prime slaughter began this summer, many of those at Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley and the other wirehouse firms, have seen their net worth, tied up largely in deferred stock...
Morgan Stanley announced plans this week to sell its Spanish brokerage- and asset- management business to La Caixa, a Spanish financial-services firm, for $885 million
A financial advisor we know recently left his big brokerage firm to go independent completely independent, as in setting up his own registered investment advisory firm. How is the technology search going? we asked him. It's kind of a baffler, he...
It has been an embarrassing time for most big Wall Street banks. In the third quarter of 2007, NYSE-reporting firms posted their worst quarterly performance on record, collectively amassing $3.8 billion in losses. Of course, their balance sheets...
THIS MONTH'S CONTEST BRAINTEASER #1: RED BULL DELIVERY A brokerage has to deliver 3,000 cans of Red Bull to desperate colleagues in a retail office exactly 1,000 miles away. The firm hires a driver to transport the Red Bull; the driver can carry...
The word was the fourth most Googled word in China last year, beating out which was the most popular keyword on the search engine in other countries. Also beating were the names of three Chinese banks. And instead of wanting to know What is love...
Many would-be philanthropists struggle with choosing which charity will be on the receiving end of their giving. Complicating this choice is the fact that an organization that makes sense for your client right now might not be the optimal choice...
Registered Rep.: LPL Financial bought three firms from Pac Life in the spring: Mutual Service Corp., Waterstone Financial Group and Associated Securities. How many of the approximate 2,200 reps from those firms have been retained? And what's the...
You might think that in the current economic climate it would be wise to advise a client against installing that new golf pavilion or building a new 15-acre driving range. Some of your wealthiest clients seem inclinded to agree: The average amount...
