RIABiz

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RIABiz

Articles published 2/2011


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Dale Walters: Canadians are leery of U.S. financial institutions.

How a custody relationship with RBC may net an advisor $100 million on day one

The Canadian bank was the missing ingredient for one Keats Connelly client; Cardinal Point's Jeff Sheldon signed on with TD Ameritrade for similar reasons

February 28, 2011 at 3:33 PM

Nevin Freeman: The next decade in advisor tech will see radical new user interfaces that will make typing in a client's address seem like an arcane waste of time.

T3 reflections: Where to watch for the next big advances in RIA technology

Vendors are turning their attention to the part of the software that you see

February 28, 2011 at 3:30 PM

Harald Malmgren: Even 9 months after the flash crash, experts still could not explain exactly what had happened on that particular day.

Flash crash update: Why the multi-asset meltdown is a real possibility

The report is out, but doesn't capture the risks of high-frequency trading's spread

February 28, 2011 at 2:58 PM

Jim Roth says that the economic of the IBD business have shifted to make a hybrid model a necessity for IBDs.

Pershing warns IBDs to embrace hybrid business model or risk being marginalized

Schwab gives hybrid advisors another vote of confidence in its own new study yesterday

February 25, 2011 at 3:12 PM

Mark Palmer will manage aggressive growth plans for Presidio Financial Partners LLC.

Mark Palmer departs Cetera and joins big West Coast RIA

Presidio Financial Partners knew the veteran from his Schwab days and lured him back to San Francisco

February 25, 2011 at 3:01 PM

Karin Maloney Stifler: Talking about money really is our last taboo subject.

What one advisor's letter to her son reveals about Americans' attitudes toward money

The financial crisis may have opened the door to money-talk -- and raises questions about advisors' responsibilities

February 25, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Ed Simmons has a doctorate from Harvard and a 24-year tenure with Merrill Lynch. He became an RIA on Friday.

Merrill Lynch and Bank of America cultural tension may spin out a new round of breakaways, recruiters say

A big Maine team goes to HighTower; more Merrill brokers in pipeline, says Weissbluth

February 24, 2011 at 3:36 PM

Jolie Keller: Knowing when to terminate a manager or not usually isn’t a clean, straightforward decision; rather, a picture emerges or a case develops over time.

When to fire an investment manager

Like selling a beaten down stock, it shouldn't be viewed as an admission of failure

February 24, 2011 at 3:35 PM

Diane Pearson: We are different genders; we do think differently.

Advisor Spotlight: Diane Pearson is building Legend Financial with sensitivity to women

The difference is not what's said but how it's communicated

February 23, 2011 at 5:58 AM

Bob Veres: In my mind, this is the place you come to find out where the future is.

Eavesdropping on the T3 conference by four bloggers with four missions as attendees

Social endurance needed as much as technical savvy at this technological event

February 23, 2011 at 5:24 AM

Tejal and Rahul Shah: I was on the phone like Jerry Maguire, Rahul says, I had all my e-mails prepared for clients and I pushed send, send, send.

Why one Merrill Lynch advisor needed to break away twice to become an RIA

Rahul Shah's first breakout attempt to Wachovia's FiNet fizzled and, his wife, Tejal Shah masterminded the second effort

February 22, 2011 at 6:23 AM

Raj Udeshi: Even on a Bloomberg terminal which you pay $2,500 a month for, there is no aggregated economic data in one place, all together, where it updates in real time. We've done that for the first time here.

How HiddenLevers is using the web to bring wirehouse-type economic analysis to RIAs

Company offers RIABiz readers interested in beta testing their new product 85% off the price

February 22, 2011 at 5:54 AM

Erik Ristuben: By giving our advisor clients direct access to our global team of strategists, we are aiming to help them better understand the nuances and opportunities in the global investing landscape.

A glimpse inside Russell's advisor event in Seattle

Invitees get full access to the big manager's top analysts who see volatility spikes

February 21, 2011 at 5:26 AM

Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker welcome 450+ attendees to the official start of conference

T3 Friday Liveblog - updated every two hours - latest: RIA and vendor critiques

First day of official conference sessions kicks off bright and early at 8:00am

February 18, 2011 at 1:52 PM

John Moninger: It’s about growing the overall wallet.

An inside look at why LPL Financial is leading the charge with fee-based variable annuities

Sun Life and Harbor Lights Financial among those reporting the program's early success

February 18, 2011 at 6:17 AM

Ed O'Brien and Page Clark show off the iPhone version of WealthCentral at T3 in Weston, Fla.
February 18, 2011 at 6:17 AM

Weston's a sleepy suburb but Miami bustles nearby

Eavesdropping on the T3 Pre-Conference Miami Vice-style

South Beach strolling and hustling for integration deals mix in balmy breezes

February 18, 2011 at 5:37 AM

Scott Thomas: He's catching some in the 401(k) world, too.

Head-to-head: How one advisor went up against a giant of the retirement plan world and won

The $80 million Royal Alliance firm had help from Loring Ward's new 401(k) platform -- and a fiduciary crusader

February 17, 2011 at 6:55 AM

Walt Bettinger: Let’s cut through the noise that is out there. A participant spending a career in a program offering an index oriented line up of investments will retire with $115,000 more over a similar participant using actively managed funds.

Schwab's CEO engages in a Q&A about how his company's deep-discount, more-advice 401(k) plan will work

It's the fees and the index approach that's important, Bettinger says -- not that Schwab plans to offer the capacity to trade

February 16, 2011 at 5:39 AM

Sanjiv Mirchandani: There are many, many firms like Commonwealth, National Financial Partners and Cambridge Investment Research that are doing just fine and their value proposition has only grown

National Financial Services records some wins to ease the pain of Bank of America loss

The number two clearing company is placing emphasis on fee-minded IBDs like Berthel Fisher

February 16, 2011 at 5:38 AM

Joel Bruckenstein: Expected weather for #T32011: Mostly sunny all days with highs of 78-81 degrees, lows in the low 60's

The T3 conference heads to the Everglades -- and so does RIABiz

Live-blogging from the industry's in-depth technology event comes on Friday

February 16, 2011 at 5:38 AM

Mag Black-Scott: After my responsibilities at Morgan Stanley, this business is sort of a pipsqueak. But now I have to look in the mirror and say "Get this done."
February 15, 2011 at 3:10 PM

Timothy Keating: They simply invested far too little in cash and liquid assets.

How the Harvard and Yale endowment models changed to avoid a repeat of 2009

Extreme events are now modeled in, but the love affair with alternative investments remains

February 15, 2011 at 3:03 PM

Benjamin Brigeman: We’re sure we have the capabilities, governors and guardrails.

Why Schwab is embracing a franchise-like strategy to fast-forward branch growth

'Entrepreurial' energy will help fuel a plan to increase retention of assets, say execs

February 14, 2011 at 3:22 PM

Rob Isbitts: Investors tend to ignore a lot of things in the short-run, and tend to react to bad news when it reaches crisis mode.

Performance envy strikes investors as a familiar pattern sets in

Twice before -- in 1999 and 2007 -- we have seen how a strong market taints expectations

February 14, 2011 at 3:11 PM

The mere fact that clients give you their e-mail address should not be construed as consent to delivery of important documents.

How to avoid that fatal blow to client communication

Keep tweets, text messages and e-mails in their proper places

February 14, 2011 at 3:03 PM

Bob Oros: These people were working big-box brands.

Trust Company of America's hiring blitz nets a veteran sales team

In five months, Bob Oros has poached away talent from Schwab, LPL Financial and New York Life

February 11, 2011 at 2:12 PM

Tom Bradley: Let’s not exclude any option out of emotion.
February 11, 2011 at 1:40 PM

Walt Bettinger: The Schwab brand is under-distributed.

Schwab eyes massive branch network expansion using independent operators

Leaner concept could become dominant retail channel for big San Francisco broker

February 10, 2011 at 2:52 PM

Lou Harvey: This gives them a huge edge on Fidelty.

Schwab to make long-awaited move in 401(k) market with an all-indexed mutual fund and ETF strategy

Market leader Fidelity not likely to mirror the move because of its legacy structure

February 10, 2011 at 2:50 PM

Ed Orazem was one of a fistful of former Citi executives that Alan Harter got back in his camp.

How Harter broke away from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney to find new vendors -- and found old friends

Citi wealth management alumni are deeply entrenched at Fidelity and Dynasty Financial Partners and working on better mousetraps

February 9, 2011 at 3:14 PM

Jeff Sheldon: We’d had a lot of prospective clients referred our way in the United States, be we always had to turn them down. We just got tired of this.

Advisor spotlight: Following the snowbirds, Canadian firm expands south

Cardinal Point bore up under a year-long paperwork gauntlet; second U.S. office already in the works

February 9, 2011 at 3:08 PM

William Coaker: Value stocks, real estate, high-yield bonds, and hedge funds all share extra sensitivity to credit conditions.

Understanding the recent rise in correlations and how you can turn it to your advantage

High correlations are a sign that investors are worried the crisis has not passed

February 9, 2011 at 2:52 PM

Alan Harter: Nobody looks at me like I have three heads.

Why an elite Morgan Stanley Smith Barney advisor jumped ship and plans 10 offices around the globe

Breakaway is using high-profile startup Dynasty to access key vendors

February 8, 2011 at 3:23 PM


Colin Powell mentioned RIAs by name in his speech, showing a familiarity with the business that's has been uncommon among outsiders.

TD Ameritrade's conference gives rise to 9 reasons for optimism about the RIA business

The industry is advancing across a wide swath; one sign is TD's self-assessment

February 7, 2011 at 3:05 PM

Jessica Maldonado: At the end of the day, people want to help other people.
February 7, 2011 at 2:55 PM

Dale Brown is leading an expansion of the Financial Services Institute, the IBD's main lobbying group.

Nine things I learned as an RIA infiltrator in an IBD world

Squeezed by low-interest rates and high costs, IBD execs at FSI's OneVoice were looking to the RIA model with a little bitterness

February 4, 2011 at 2:11 PM

Tom Bradley: Tony Blair was very gracious, and I was gracious back.

Icy runways and Egyptian rebels had an effect, but TD Ameritrade plows ahead in San Diego

Snow adventures and Blair-on-the-phone mix with RIA growth strategies for siphoning wirehouse assets

February 4, 2011 at 1:55 PM

Chip Roame: This round of financial advisor aggregators is far better capitalized, and has far deeper management teams – and boards of directors.

This generation of advisor aggregators puts the roll-up ghosts to bed, for now

Questions linger about what some firms will look like post-IPO or merger

February 3, 2011 at 1:56 PM

Eric Clarke: We’ve struggled with the lack of a standard, but with TD we’re taking a step forward.
February 3, 2011 at 1:52 PM

Barnaby Grist: An industry veteran announced her retirement at a sponsor dinner.  She said, quite simply, that with all the new regulations, the business just isn’t fun anymore.

Eavesdropping on FSI OneVoice: An industry under pressure, but looking for the opportunity

At FSI's largest conference ever, regulatory changes dominated the discussion

February 3, 2011 at 1:49 PM

Bill Dwyer: One of the reasons we’ve had this growth is that we’re a melting pot of advisors from different channels.

What LPL's Bill Dwyer had to say about recruitment, and pressure from custodians

All eyes are on the biggest IBD -- which can be a good or bad thing for it

February 2, 2011 at 6:08 AM

Dan Seivert: RIAs were competing with wirehouse brokers but now they’re competing against super RIAs and they’re feeling a little insecure.

Record year for RIA M&A after giant fourth quarter, Schwab study says

Buyers and sellers both have stronger motivations

February 2, 2011 at 6:07 AM

Tony Blair was called to the Middle East and will miss TD Ameritrade conference
February 2, 2011 at 1:45 AM

Rick Ketchum: The SEC has acknowledged that it cannot oversee advisors with its current level of funding.

Rick Ketchum reveals plan for advisor oversight at FSI conference

FINRA CEO promises light touch on rules, lays out political strategy

February 1, 2011 at 5:45 AM

Mark Matson: Nobody could foresee in their psyche what it would be like to see their clients panic.

Mark Matson: Stand up to clients or else

With dysfunctional behavior in his sites, the big advisor will go 24 hours straight if necessary in webcast marathon

February 1, 2011 at 5:44 AM

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