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Articles published 11/2025


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Lou Maiuri: We’re equipping advisors with an ‘easy button.'

AssetMark introduces 'access' to private funds, including a Carlyle private-credit fund Morningstar flags for high fees that could 'steer' managers toward undue risk

Nov 26, 2025

The Concord, Calif., TAMP is also adding single funds from KKR, StepStone and Apollo -- all with fees of 200 basis points and up.


Rohit Mahna: Departing after 2021 poach as Fidelity shakes up RIA leadership.

Fidelity shifts course -- and gears -- on RIA leadership by naming a head of the RIA and a head of clearing business to fill the role held singly by departing, technology-focused Rohit Mahna

Nov 22, 2025

The Boston company's clearing custody grew to $5.1 trillion from $3.5 trillion under Mahna's leadership as head of client growth, where technology took priority, but two relationship managers are taking his place.


Rick Wurster: Schwab is not "fairly compensated" for the distribution it provides.

Schwab is ending six-year hiatus of ETF platform fees -- possibly with a bang; ETF OneSource was a winner made obsolete by Chuck's 2019 zeroing of commissions

Nov 19, 2025

The Westlake, Texas brokerage could take as much as 15% of revenues from $2.4 trillion of exchange traded funds on its platform. Vanguard remains a question mark.


Fidelity headquarters issued red alert in legal action from Summer Street headquarters.

Fidelity unit warns of 'massive outages across major Fidelity platforms,' in new lawsuit, unless Broadcom walks backs threat to terminate software subscription without price spike

Nov 18, 2025

Fidelity Technology Group is suing and seeking an injunction against the Palo Alto software maker in a festering contract dispute to prevent dire outcome that would stop most RIA client servicing in its tracks


Jacob Miller: Platforms are transactional, and the firms are not playing a fiduciary role

Schwab forges ahead into private investments with Forge Global acquisition, but risks may outweigh benefits for clients and the RIA industry

Nov 15, 2025

Notoriously fraught private-share markets represent more downside -- and less upside -- than average investors imagine.


Bill Harris: I believe we have the Goldilocks formula.

After five-year rest, two-year ramp-up, Bill Harris 'launched' RIA Evergreen Wealth to mass-customize portfolios with a not-too-hot, not-too-cold blend of call center humans and ‘AI’

Nov 14, 2025

The 69 year-old got the RIA to $100-million-plus of AUM before Oct. 1 launch, and uses AI-enhanced humans on telephones to beat rivals with speed and fearlessness.


Rick Wurster (interviewed on Schwab TV about Forge): It's going to be really hard to match what we can do for private stock plan administration.

Rick Wurster explains his first M&A deal in RIA terms and uses data points to bolster his case that Charles Schwab's 46 million client accounts can dominate private share markets

Nov 13, 2025

The Schwab CEO, interviewed by Wall Street from IMPACT, made RIA needs and reach central to his Forge Global purchase value proposition


Louis Diamond: That shift is driven by sky-high valuations, more sophisticated buyers and investors, and success stories like OpenArc.

Fresh off bagging a $129-billion Merrill Lynch team, a new partnership merges recruiting and M&A to forge a holistic path to freedom for $1B-plus breakaways; Lou Diamond explains in an RIABiz Q&A

Nov 11, 2025

Diamond Consultants and Dynasty Financial's bank will create a place that offers 'unconflicted' advising between taking a wirehouse recruiting check and a buyout offer.


Drew Pusateri: We’re seeing the free market work here.

JP Morgan hustles Plaid for a deal in bitter fight over 'free data,' with Wells and PNC encouraged, while Fidelity, Schwab also force fintechs to pay up or pound sand as part of 'deeper battle'

Nov 8, 2025

Emboldened by Trump's consumer-protection animus and the sheer value of their data, big banks like Wells Fargo and PNC are making their moves -- with free-enterprise justifications to go along with cyber security concerns many view as legit


Schwab's future will rely on 'counterparty' software taking shape in downtown San Francisco

Rick Wurster hopes acquiring private shares marketplace for Schwab on the cheap will help RIAs sell pre-IPO shares, but the firm burns cash, and needs dire automation, distribution upgrades

Nov 7, 2025

The Schwab CEO is spending just $660 million for Forge Global, but says 46 million client accounts and $11.6 trillion in client assets will turn it into a strong distribution platform.


Michael Kitces: Schwab may claim it's not a competing service, but the parallels are striking.

Michael Kitces is asking 'serious questions' about whether XY Planning Network should keep Schwab as its exclusive RIA custodian for 2,000 firms after 'slap in the face'

Nov 6, 2025

Kitces, the self-professed 'strongest advocate' for Schwab custody, now thinks Schwab is doubling down on a business model with 'striking parallels' to his own, heedless of his loyalty.


Shawnette Gauer: Schwab Advisor ProDirect would resonate with new entrants as well as established RIA clients.

After July 'launch' fizzle, Schwab kicks off annual IMPACT event by relaunching RIA-prospect 'superhighway' -- with less rhetoric and wider net to attract more clients

Nov 5, 2025

Advisor ProDirect was quiet out of the gate after experts raised concerns about sky-high price and conflicts, but those concerns still remain, they say.


Salim Ramji is asking Vanguard shareholders to allow his company to classify diverse funds as non-diverse to avoid expensive 'synthetic' solutions.

Salim Ramji makes appeal to shareholders of two Vanguard index ETFs to re-classify them as 'non-diversified' -- to keep them diversified, but not 'synthetically'

Nov 1, 2025

The Vanguard CEO posted a letter with brokers ahead of a [Tues.] Nov. 4 vote that came about because fund holdings like JP Morgan are too technically concentrated for the SEC -- forcing expensive 'synthetic' holdings to stay in compliance


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