Articles published 5/2013
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Family offices are facing frustration as 'prima donna' sales stars prove to be in short supply to handle like clients
Assets seem to be growing healthily at family offices but many of the old-school practices are in a bad spot
May 31, 2013 at 8:01 PM
The FPA NorCal Conference burnishes its little-gem image with big RIAs and other advisory progressives
700 people pow-wowed at The (respendent) Palace of San Francisco and none of their activity escaped the Tim Welsh watchful eye
May 30, 2013 at 6:10 PM
One RIA's bid to make the technology that makes it possible to use one password
Beverly Hills Wealth Management wants to eliminate the downside of open architecture
May 29, 2013 at 4:23 AM
5 things Envestnet is doing to grow even faster than most of its clients
The outsourcer boasts year-over-year quarterly revenue growth of 43% by adding advisors and what it sells to them
May 28, 2013 at 6:05 AM
Larry Stupski is remembered as the other man, hands down, who made Schwab great
The soft-spoken, hard-driving guy is largely credited with Schwab's sale to BoA, its buyout from BoA and its IPO -- all big successes
May 24, 2013 at 4:39 AM
Abby Johnson wins RIA respect by articulating her bold vision for Fidelity's future at the company's Executive Forum
Hillary Clinton gave a great speech in Naples but the chairman's daughter gave a glimpse of her determination to attack channel insularity -- and what kind of a successor she might be
May 23, 2013 at 2:12 AM
Why a $1-billion Fidelity RIA is placing LPL at the heart of its 401(k) business
Ingham Retirement dropped Sentinel Securities for LPL and is also becoming a retirement plan vendor to many LPL reps
May 22, 2013 at 4:29 AM
An attorney explains where the 'trail goes cold' in PBS' 'Retirement Gamble'
Just where the line is between a legal and illegal 401(k) plan is important to know
May 21, 2013 at 5:52 PM
How to get going on Twitter
This social media can be the most intimidating to start but it can be the best and most effective, too
May 21, 2013 at 6:01 AM
LPL to Wall Street types: We're in phase three
At a Merrill Lynch forum, the IBD's CFO explains that Phase I was the mass accumulation of advisors and Phase 2 was about RIA-ification
May 20, 2013 at 2:47 PM
Pershing and BNY Mellon unveil a unified, 'dream' RIA and bank custody unit
The idea is to create one service experience for assets held in both bank and brokerage accounts under a single advisor -- with Mark Tibergien calling all the shots.
May 17, 2013 at 4:29 AM
What ever became of RBC's RIA custody unit after it showed such promise
Royal Bank of Canada high-ups say RBC Advisor Services still holds importance, but the Cerulli numbers are concerning and some RBC brokers are barred from channel switches
May 16, 2013 at 5:08 PM
What led to Advizent's end and why Steve Lockshin is unfazed, even energized
The RIA business -- including custodians, asset managers and advisory firms -- lived up to its reputation of resisting cooperation
May 15, 2013 at 11:00 PM
Why the industry needs to accept some blame for 'flaws' in PBS Frontline's 'Retirement Gamble'
The PBS report was slanted, simplistic and went in for shock value, say critics, but some in the industry say too-high fees are in fact the root of the problem
May 15, 2013 at 3:09 AM
How Jeffrey Concepcion manned up after FINRA and Lincoln Financial troubles to become an LPL giant
In only four years, his OSJ RIA has $6.2 billion in advised assets and 130 advisors, thanks to a radical cold-calling plan and lower, yes lower, payouts than other OSJs
May 14, 2013 at 6:31 AM
5 questions advisors must prepare to answer to remain relevant
An advisor must know who he or she is and express it in simple terms
May 13, 2013 at 5:05 PM
What RIAs need to know about why diamonds aren't just for pawn shops, brides and African cartels anymore
With De Beers humbled, valuation methods standardized and hundreds of millions of Chinese headed to middle-class nuptials, it's a new story
May 13, 2013 at 3:42 AM
Why I'll really miss Alan Abelson
The inimitable Barron's editor and writer always delivered the spoonful of sugar with the medicine
May 11, 2013 at 12:34 AM
Having won advisor assets, Envestnet's next -- more Google-like -- play is for their smarts
The Chicago outsourcer will soak up and synthesize information from 23,000 advisors and distribute it in real time in an effort to create one big giant brain out of an atomized industry
May 10, 2013 at 5:40 PM
How, strangely, money gets downplayed in RIA deal making and why it helps explain an anemic flow
Culture, fit, philosophy and a firm handshake are all swell, but without a financial bettering of the parties' interests, a deal rarely progresses
May 10, 2013 at 3:49 AM
RIAs recount how they reap new clients using LinkedIn and Twitter, stealing a march on shackled wirehouse advisors
A whopping 90% of the mass-affluent investor pool is online and 44% of them are actively looking for an advisor
May 9, 2013 at 6:51 AM
Fidelity gleans why so many 'attractive' advisors cling to wirehouses and Cerulli's newest RIA data shows plenty find courage
Those hefty retention bonuses aren't the only thing keeping brokers tied to their desks -- family sentiment has huge impact on 'fence-sitters'
May 8, 2013 at 10:16 PM
What is up with Bloomberg launching an RIA, BloombergBlack, and hiring a bunch of ex-TD, -Fido and -Schwab folks to staff it?
It's not clear how this fits in with Bloomberg's bigger plan and the effort seems a little tentative but the data giant has resources
May 8, 2013 at 4:13 PM
The PBS 'Frontline' 401(k) documentary names suspects but leaves out major culprits of the theft of the American retirement
Wall Street charges excessive hidden fees, but it's all within the bounds that the system allows
May 8, 2013 at 6:20 AM
At Envestnet event, Sallie Krawcheck alludes to Crager alliance, blasts women-as-niche marketers and edges perhaps closer to endorsing the RIA model
The former wirehouse exec is satisfied with her own 'gal about town' status but not 'Republican' tendencies of financial advisors
May 7, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Borzi: Exemptions from conflict of interest will be part of new fiduciary proposal
An easing of the ban against advisors accepting payment from money managers for selling their products may be in the works
May 7, 2013 at 3:14 AM
Meredith Whitney blames '60 Minutes' for her muni 'call,' then doubles down on the 'hell' coming for muni bonds
In places like Stockton, Calif., bondholders are being paid, but cuts to public pensions, rising crime and slow emergency responses, cuts to sports, arts programs in the schools are the price
May 6, 2013 at 4:19 PM
What RIAs should make of Blackberry CEO's prediction that iPad-like tablets will be dead in five years
The pronouncement comes as companies like Envestnet -- and a whole world of advisors -- are just getting warmed up to the iPad
May 6, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Jeff Carney lands in Ontario where he'll lead a fund giant with 4,500 associated financial advisors
Schwab's short-tenured ex-branch chief and former Fido star returns to near his college stomping grounds in taking role at Mackenzie Investments
May 4, 2013 at 11:08 PM
Addepar hires an Advent talent to help head sales, an ex-Lehman exec as COO and an ex-Merrill Lynch strategist
Geoffrey Clauss, Eric Poirier and Caroline O'Mahony all took pay cuts to help position the firm to gobble serious RIA market share
May 3, 2013 at 5:11 AM
Schwab 2013 RIA M&A data show hope but also futility
David DeVoe and Mark Hurley weigh in on just exactly what is and isn't working
May 3, 2013 at 4:38 AM
Some Schwab independent branches are raking in assets as much as 200% above goals, Schwab CEO says
Analysts applaud the scant data but one RIA has the opposite reaction to what Walt Bettinger said
May 2, 2013 at 8:15 PM
RIAs who trade very much seek to know more at a mile-high NAAIM Conference
The 24-year-old group makes its first dedicated market hire and continues to demand respect
May 2, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Envestnet breaks out ENV2 to oohs, aahs and a few groans at its bust-out event in Chicago
After years of cobbling on capabilities, the TAMP streamlined and made tablet-compatible its web presence, though not to pure approbation
May 2, 2013 at 5:17 AM
Is Fidelity's move to put RIAs deeper into the cloud gonna make it rain?
'First to market' crows Fido. 'Not even close' counter other custodians. But one expert says the Boston-based firm's one-click platform could change everything
May 1, 2013 at 11:59 PM
A $15-billion roll-up-like venture in Canada gets a US foothold with a Dynasty Financial deal -- and vice-versa
With the deal, born on a frozen lake in Montana, both companies are attempting to keep assets from crossing their borders
May 1, 2013 at 9:34 AM
How RIAs are helping their clients participate in confusing lawsuits
2008-2009 market meltdown settlements are just now coming to fruition, and giant RIAs are signing up with a filing firm to get in on the action