Articles published 4/2016
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Betterment informs RIA clients of new $2,400 license fee then cancels it, for now, after advisor blowback
During an intense 48-hour period and 'dozens' of conversations with RIA principals, Tom Kimberly capitulated to advisors who say the fee outstrips the features
April 29, 2016 at 8:48 PM
AdvisorHub slams Barron's for its advisor list - correlating higher rankings with higher complaint rates
Jed Horowitz cites an unholy alliance between the Dow Jones publication and the many advisors and firms who make the list -- with criteria based largely on asset accumulation
April 28, 2016 at 7:57 PM
As Raymond James seeks to wire its Alex. Brown upbranding deal, it hires past Deutsche CEO Seth Waugh with bona fides and baggage
In adding execuive chair, Raymond James is looking to complete the orchid botanist's task of providing just the right Wall Street water and Baltimore sunlight
April 27, 2016 at 7:49 PM
Why a $2.8 billion RIA spun away from a Canadian bank despite a 'really good relationship' spanning 13 years
Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney principals want to ramp up growth but BMO Harris banker body language said: Not so fast
April 26, 2016 at 8:33 PM
Why crowdfunding is madness, but maybe not with an RIA at the helm
With its holier-than-thou pitches and self-dealing syndication fees, crowdfunding is really only good if you're the crowdseeker
April 26, 2016 at 5:38 PM
Feeling RIA custody oats, Dan Skiles and Peter Mangan attract smaller RIAs but big-name lights to SSG event
The ex-Schwab RIA software chief delivered keynote at his Shareholders Service Group confab
April 25, 2016 at 7:41 PM
Amid hail of DOL questions, Walt Bettinger calls RIAs' draining OneSource 'identified' risk, and explains away LPL/ RBC/BBVA picks of BlackRock FutureAdvisor over Schwab robo
Schwab CEO admits he underappreciated 'brand' barrier in selling Schwab robo on B2B basis, and DOL 'best interest' issue hangs fire
April 22, 2016 at 9:23 PM
That employment boom is pretty much here
With the Great Recession in the rear-view mirror, all signs point to a job-creation bonanza not seen since the 1990s
April 22, 2016 at 6:46 PM
A hedgie defends hedge funds -- and their disparaged managers -- amid a tough PR run for the category
Pension funds won't hit their must-have 8% assumption rate on a bland diet of fixed-income and equities -- a carefully chosen manager can add much-needed spice
April 21, 2016 at 8:04 PM
Why luring 401(k) assets to IRA rollovers in a post-DOL-rule world remains child's play, which keeps $7.6 trillion in the IRA game and growing
Clients still hate 401(k) inflexibility around withdrawals and the DOL granted advisors the upper hand in getting clients to sign away protections with regard to pricier products
April 20, 2016 at 8:25 PM
After Betterment's $100 million VC raise makes 25 newspapers, Wealthfront unveils 3.0 on blog and Twitter
The big Redwood City robo is staying in character by touting 'artificial intelligence,' in synch with Facebook's CEO, but whether it's a real delineation or simple evolution is hard to tell
April 19, 2016 at 9:35 PM
The exit of CalPERS' turnaround CEO Anne Stausboll raises the question of whether the pension Goliath's changes are too little, too late and mostly superficial
Stausboll made a big showing of cutting hedge funds and other active managers but her last big act was to pay up for a New York office tower, funded by the sale of a diversified real estate portfolio
April 18, 2016 at 8:12 PM
With BlackRock ahead and blue ocean behind, LPL finds its robo comfort zone
With the 150 basis-point-plus price of Guided Wealth Portfolios, LPL's robo plan doesn't look so robo, except for the onboarding
April 15, 2016 at 7:59 PM
Don Trone's 7 reasons why the DOL rule is flawed to the point of 'folly'
Hurling jabs at opponents and proponents alike, the fiduciary maven says both sides failed to recognize and incorporate the role of RIAs
April 15, 2016 at 5:40 PM
A veteran of securities law killed his weekend reading all 1,000 pages of the DOL rule -- and has a takeaway to share
Despite reassuring words, the rules steer ill-done-by investors down that dark alley of FINRA arbitrations where complaints go to die
April 13, 2016 at 9:30 PM
LPL unveils BlackRock's FutureAdvisor as its robo partner -- albeit with LPL model portfolios
After Nestwise dropped off the twig, then crickets, then a secret pilot launch, LPL announces that robo FutureAdvisor gets the nod
April 13, 2016 at 6:15 PM
Schwab's former retail chief ends garden leave with two new gigs -- as chief of HD Vest holding company, and as Betterment CEO's operations confidante
John Clendening is now CEO of Blucora and a director at Betterment -- and a new resident of Bellevue. Wash.
April 12, 2016 at 9:58 PM
Charles Goldman's turnaround of Genworth castoff leads Chinese investor to pay stunning price
AssetMark grew from $21 billion of AUM to $29 billion but PE firms made quick 300% return
April 12, 2016 at 3:47 AM
Fidelity dumps two liquid alts managers after they fail to deliver the vaunted 'hedge effect' in stormy markets
The Boston giant gave Arden, then Blackstone, the bum's rush after their halo effect was tarnished by high expenses, low returns
April 8, 2016 at 6:12 PM
How Wall Street emasculated the DOL rule with an old-fashioned end game: 'Somebody made a deal' -- and why tort lawyers are licking their chops
End-game style politics exposed fiduciaries' lack of playoff experience, but RIAs can console themselves because DOL exposed shady dealings on 'the dark side'
April 7, 2016 at 3:10 PM
The DOL's final rule contains a litany of 11th hour concessions to brokers that show Wall Street lobbyists earned their keep
12(b)1 fees, variable annuities and proprietary products are all still allowed and so is partiality in the sales process
April 6, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Why a Miami breakaway trio sees no vice in leaving half-a-billion of client assets on JP Morgan's table
Element Pointe Advisors seek to ease HNW and UHNW client angst by watching their held-away assets
April 5, 2016 at 8:05 PM
What to make of Peter Mallouk's sweeping deal with Tony Robbins -- and where the unlikely pairing goes from here
After deliberately relinquishing his cherished anonymity, the CEO of $18-billion AUM is using the Robbins deals as part of a larger charge from the bulrushes
April 5, 2016 at 3:58 AM
Michael Kitces blasts Investopedia for squeezing free advice out of RIAs and the advice super-site responds
The industry blogger says the routing of web traffic and its monetization works for the publication, not fo advisor practices