Financial Planning - November/December 2024

CAN RIA GROWTH AND TRUE FIDUCIARY DUTY REALLY COEXIST?

Despite the increase in overall confidence, election anxiety has remained a potent force for financial advisors and clients.

The giant universities that have their own investment arms are likely out of reach, but they represent only a small portion of the rapidly growing channel.

Marriage, government and employee benefits, and mental health often loom large for a base of clients that is more likely than straight peers to live alone.

This fringe benefit can take the weight off of the company's human resources department, allow employees to experience the benefits of financial planning and even allow advisors to prospect for new clients.

Financial advisors can delight their newest customers by steering them away from the typical traps, deploying new strategies and using technology, experts said.

Business goals cannot always put clients' best interests first. Here's why even the executives leading fast-expanding advisory firms say the critics have a point.

The printable PDF includes rankings based on the firms' AUM and includes number of employees, client accounts and financial advisors.

The first Secure Act was a "game-changer for IRAs and Roth IRAs," according to a retirement expert. Here's the compelling case for paying taxes sooner.

Everyone agrees that the anticipated insolvency in 2035, is a problem, but the answers to how to fix it are anything but unified.

According to a recent Cerulli study, more than half of retired 401(k) participants say Social Security is their primary source of income. At the same time, only 6% of millennials predict they will rely on those funds when they finish their careers.

The standalone trusts or provisions within other entities can help clients protect assets. Here's why they may need a nudge to speak with an estate attorney about this.

Since being first given the green light by regulators two years ago, there are now dozens of these new vehicles available on the market. But experts warn they carry inherent risks for investors.

Financial advisors' jobs won't be eliminated by AI, but their roles are rapidly evolving to keep up with new client demands and oversee new tech to prevent hallucinations.

In a highly competitive landscape for tech developers, financial advisor firms often fall short compared to mega tech players and startups. But there are ways to attract top tech talent, advisors and consultants say.

Top executives at Advyzon, Kwanti, Softlab360 and The Oasis Group say advisors need to stop depending on SOC 2 reports to measure a vendor's data security.

A pair of SEC commissioners say the treatment of the brokerage firm Qatalyst shows industry watchdogs expect nothing short of perfection with regulatory matters.

Whether boutique, midsize, regional or national, each RIA asset level requires distinct strategies and significant sacrifices.

AI can extract key insights from meeting transcripts, emails and files and other sources across a firm's entire book of business.