Brooke Southall
Articles written by Brooke Southall
Headline
Publish date
Pershing rolls out new RIA custody fee schedule for firms from zero to $10 billion in assets - a dynamic of competing against zero-fee custodians who take revenues from client accounts
The No. 3 RIA custodian will also continue to realize revenues from muddier non-fee sources but hopes that the new schedule 'clarifies' the murk in its previous pricing schedule.
June 18, 2025 at 12:39 AM
After merger shock, LPL staff apologized to Ralph Angelo for blindside, which he now gladly accepts as first major recruit under LPL-Commonwealth combo
The founder of $1.5 billion Angelo Planning Group (APG) found out LPL was acquiring Commonwealth the same day he joined Commonwealth -- a switch precipitated by Osaic's merger with American Portfolios
June 13, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Moody's downgrades Wall Street play to target retail clients as piggy bank to soak up trillions of dollars in illiquid investments
The New York City rating agency warns that the 'rapid deployment' of 'dry powder' into illiquid investments is recipe for systemic disaster.
June 13, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Schwab undercuts Vanguard (and BlackRock) again by slashing ETF fees up to 50% -- math that works when keeping RIAs is a priority
The $10 trillion discount broker cut its international ETF fee by 50%, a fee that is now 25% lower than that of the equivalent Vanguard ETF
June 10, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Fielding Miller calls on Mike Wunderli at 'inflection point' after CAPTRUST zoomed to $1 trillion but needs M&A energy injection to hit $2 trillion
The CAPTRUST CEO's firm dominated the 401(k) RIA rollup game for a decade, and LA dealmaker's hire comes as the market has changed to higher multiples and more determined rivals.
June 6, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Focus Financial breaks deal drought and kills off 'hub' talk by merging $10-billion West Coast acquisition with $175-billion Boston unit
Focus Wealth Partners is dominating M&A mojo, transition 'vernacular' and decentralization are out the window as Focus starts buying again with a vengeance.
June 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Schwab's 'superhighway' project could supercharge RIA business, yet fees elicit sticker shock and its leap to RIA 'support' channel may test critical alliances
Schwab's 'ProDirect' is aimed at winning sub-$300-million stockbrokers, possibly from IBDs, but a whole world of symbiotic networks may feel the heat of competition from their RIA custodian
May 22, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Addepar finally confirms massive 'G' raise months past closing, but with terms intact and previously unnamed PE firm as co-lead; analyst calls it 'positive sign'
The Mountain View, Calif. firm had the $230 million lined up in January, expected to announce late February, but broke the news today.
May 14, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Vanguard's and Blackstone's plan to bring 'alts' to the masses revealed in SEC filing, but protagonists take passive role, leading analyst to brand the new fund a 'dud'
Industry analysts expected much more after Vanguard CEO Salim Ramji and Blackstone president and chief operating officer Jon Gray did a joint video, brimming with promise.
May 13, 2025 at 1:41 AM
LPL shares surge on earnings beat; Commonwealth deal, 'tracking towards 90% retention' keeps firm on path to be 'best in wealth management'
CEO Rich Steinmeier delivers first-quarter results -- good early signs on retaining Commonweath advisors -- that please Wall Street analysts and investors but he wants more. Much more.
May 9, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Philip Palaveev brings hard math -- and his heart -- to topic of RIA staffer 'moms' ahead of Mother's Day with timely new study
The Ensemble Practice CEO shows just how much women with kids love being financial advisors and why it'd be wrong not to love them back, by giving them room to parent
May 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
AdvicePay, co-founded by Alan Moore and Michael Kitces, buys payroll software solution from LPL RIA owner that should ease a major headache for RIAs -- getting staff paid
AdvisorBOB, formerly RIAFees.com, is acquired from owner of Great Valley Advisor Group to replace clunky spreadsheets for RIAs with mad alluvial comp deals.
May 7, 2025 at 2:45 AM
The unbreakable 1% RIA fee looks vulnerable to new threats from young clients in skinny jeans, says Cerulli study, but falling fees are not a fait accompli, analysts counter
RIAs are willing to yield some ground to win chiseling millennials pressuring margins, but AI, supply and demand, and innovative pricing are all in the RIA's favor.
May 2, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Goldman Sachs signals Charles Schwab Corp. is out of the woods with huge rating upgrade based on less debt, more cash and 'durable' organic growth
Analyst Alex Blostein pushed the target to $100 after the balance sheet looks healthiest since bank crisis, and TD Ameritrade customers are buying more Schwab products
April 26, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Top federal regulator floats putting 'mid-size' RIAs -- possibly up to $1 billion in AUM -- under sole state purview, and Adrienne Gurley provides insights in an RIABiz Q&A
Commissioner Mark Uyeda dropped the bomb on April 8 and Gurley, a former SEC senior counsel, offered to answer questions about serious practical ramifications.
