Does Merrill Lynch have an employee attendance problem? Nah, Mother Merrill may have been too generous, is all. The firm recently announced a new sick-day protocol that, upon first blush, appears to be rather severe. Gawker.com, the pop-culture...

Deborah McWhinney, president of Schwab Institutional, retired this morning at the age of 52, something communicated to the firm’s advisors and employees via a trio of e-mails--first from Schwab chairman and CEO Charles “Chuck”...

Let's explore how providing Ritz-Carlton service to your top clients can be a high-impact Rainmaking activity. Our research has informed us that each of your top clients, over the course of your professional relationship, should be responsible...

This week Massachusetts fired a round in the new regulatory war waged by state securities regulators against the use of senior designations to commit senior fraud. The Massachusetts State Securities Division adopted the nation’s first...

Screen of the Week: This week, Kevin Matras goes over the popular ROE2 strategy. See what items go into this winning screen and get 3 of its newest picks.

Everybody knows that time management is key in running a business. But managing your time may be even more important to an RIA’s profitability than you may have appreciated before, according to a recent report from Moss Adams and Schwab...

The SEC isn’t going to fight the March 30 D.C. Court of Appeals ruling that vacated Rule 202, the broker/dealer exemption (a.k.a. the Merrill Lynch rule)—they’re just asking for a little mercy for firms that have to adjust. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking at the 49th annual Investment Company Institute general membership meeting, NASD Chairman Mary Shapiro told mutual fund executives she sees better regulation of investment products as a result of the expected...

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 the best way to transition...

Crooks come in all shapes and sizes—even, apparently, in the guise of SEC examiners and staff. The SEC issued an alert Thursday to securities industry firms, warning them to keep an eye out for impostors—individuals pretending to work...