Is Boston Private Financial Holdings making a comeback? After a string of unsuccessful RIA acquisitions, soured loans at its private bank division, and a drawdown of $154 million in federal TARP aid, the RIA consolidator’s outlook was glum...

If you worked as a financial advisor last year, you are well aware that securities industry compensation was one of the many victims of the financial collapse. But new data from David Belkin, senior economist at the nonpartisan New York City...

LPL to go public. As one advisor puts it, “[The private equity firms] didn’t invest in LPL to hang out. It was a business decision and they’re ready to monetize their investment.” The PE firms’ 2005 investment valued...

Bank of America is making a push into electronic brokerage services, a menu that includes free online trading and a new platform called Merrill Edge, set to debut in late June. Some say the new services will steal business from Merrill advisors.

Choosing among various charitable-giving options can be a challenging proposition for your clients. The most common options are creating a private foundation (PF), contributing to a donor-advised fund (DAF) or making an outright donation. If your...

Estate planning in the context of second marriages is increasingly common and necessary in the evolving world in which we practice. Estate-planning techniques that are effective for spouses in first marriages may be unsuited when applied to...