Charles Schwab reported a 34 percent drop in its third quarter earnings today, the firm’s third consecutive quarter of slowing earnings this year. On a good note, Schwab continues to gather new registered investment advisor firms and assets...

Asian stocks hit a 14-month high Tuesday, with the MSCI index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan up almost 55 percent year-to-date. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to invest in the sector, as long as you have a long-term...

The market continues its remarkable recovery from March lows. The short-term outlook from many is that it could continue—Barry Ritholtz explains why in this post on his site. The long-term outlook for the markets and the economy is a lot...

CNBC reported Thursday that UBS has hired former Merrill Lynch executive Bob McCann to run its wealth management division in the Americas. His appointment will be announced at the end of October. CNBC also said that McCann plans to lure Merrill...

Over a leisurely breakfast in an upscale hotel in Short Hills, New Jersey, Robert J. McCann, former president of Merrill Lynch’s mighty thundering herd, sat down with Registered Rep. contributor John Aidan Byrne for this exclusive interview...

The Financial Services Institute, a trade group for small independent b/ds, attacked current government proposals to make the fiduciary standard of care a universal one for all financial advisors—not just RIA investment advisors, but b/d...

Citigroup on Monday announced that it would convert its small North American bank brokerage business completely to a fee-on-assets-based fiduciary advice system, and would stop collecting commissions on stock and fund sales. Citi says it will also...

Merrill Lynch launched a new marketing campaign Monday called help2, which includes the iconic Merrill bull logo. It will cost the firm $20 million in the fourth quarter, the most Merrill has ever spent on marketing, according to Sallie Krawcheck...

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued an 80 page report on Friday that includes a review of its failings in the Madoff and Stanford scandals. A release about the report reads as follows:

Robert J. McCann, the former Merrill Lynch & Co. brokerage chief is free to take the reins at a major Merrill rival—even if it be the U.S. wealth management unit of UBS that has been rumored for months—after he settled a lawsuit today...