Articles written by Lisa Shidler
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Hightower's 'one-plus-one-equals-five,' off-script, catch-up purchase of $250 billion AUM RIA will sponge up referrals and help centralize investing for 642 advisors
The $156-billion rollup's CEO, Bob Oros, says the deal for NEPC, a $1.7 trillion AUA pension consultant and OCIO, culminates four-year search for 'centralized' investments capability. But does it tick off the 'alts' box?
October 25, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Envestnet's five-year legal slugfest with fintech over alleged 'Trojan Horse' theft of killer app cleared for trial, likely a speedbump, not a wrench, for Bain acquisition or Yodlee sale
Judge Jennifer L. Hall dismissed two summary judgment motions and a series of futile counterclaims that likely paves the way for a settlement
October 23, 2024 at 4:37 AM
Betterment gives clients one-month notice to get out of crypto portfolios, citing 'hassle' and excessive fees -- and offering third-party ETFs as substitute
The New York robo's 2022 move into crypto was ill-timed. First, the digital asset market crashed, then SEC approval of crypto ETFs pushed direct holdings toward obsolescence
October 18, 2024 at 3:48 AM
Rick Wurster walks Wall Street analysts through three-part 'custody-fee' RIA plan with one surprise -- a play on 'RIA value chain,' likely a TAMP, one analyst says
Schwab's CEO-in-waiting seemed to postpone an explicit custody fee indefinitely, citing abject RIA push-back
October 16, 2024 at 2:02 AM
Shirl Penney won J.P. Morgan and BlackRock backing the same day Hurricane Helene brought down his house and lifted his faith in friends, family and coworkers
The Dynasty Financial Partners CEO has evacuated from incoming Hurricane Milton but laments blows his staff and neighbors absorbed from Helene -- and fears the worst may yet come
October 10, 2024 at 3:20 AM
Rick Wurster's CEO tenure begins with a big RIA question: will he honor Bernie-tenure 'pledge' to keep custody free, or will he create a new, possibly better, pricing paradigm?
RIAs have had a limited back-channel to the c-suite since Bernie Clark's departure, and Wurster remains an unknown to the industry.
October 8, 2024 at 4:06 AM
Walter Bettinger joins Charles Schwab Corp. mass executive exodus, leaving a very complex CEO puzzle to solve for his young, ex-McKinsey successor
CEO grew the company by $8 trillion in assets to 'powerhouse' status amid significant accomplishments -- sans RIA mention -- but shares are sagging, and its bank remains a sore subject.
October 3, 2024 at 10:12 PM
Pontera password-sharing business model is a bridge too far for Fidelity; it bans the practice for its 401(k) plans in blow to the fintech's future
The $4.5-trillion recordkeeper cites data security as the immediate concern but it also cites a clash between unauthorized, unidentified third-party advisors executing trades -- without plan sponsor oversight
September 24, 2024 at 2:15 AM
Two 27-year-olds raise $3.6 million to mine 'real-time,' high-net-worth RIA leads, with AI doing double duty to wire client-advisor chemistry
Farbod Nowzad and Eshan Govil, who co-founded Cashmere, start by mining life events as they are happening then take steps not to squander good timing
September 13, 2024 at 3:30 AM
Vanguard is finally flavoring its 'vanilla' robo-RIA with 99.7% lower minimum, a 25 basis-point 'active' version -- and 'personalized coaching,' albeit provided by a robot
The new Malvern, Pa., CEO gets a new toy -- a killer $330-billion RIA unit with a Robo arm -- that was not in his arsenal during his BlackRock days.
September 10, 2024 at 1:48 AM
Kansas judge shoots down female employee who sued Edelman Financial Engines, calling her gender, race bias and hostile workplace allegations flimsy 'innuendo'
Judge Holly Teeter said Maria Woods didn't connect her alleged mistreatment to her sex or race, and tossed charges against the mega-RIA.
August 28, 2024 at 3:02 AM
Reddit and weep; Fidelity soars 68% in social media interactions, after embracing TikTok and other media, but sticks with the traditional output on Facebook and LinkedIn
The Boston giant' is getting past the old LinkedIn, Facebook paradigm, adopting a more casual tone and using third-party media for 'service.'
August 27, 2024 at 2:05 AM
Capitalize inks 'deep, multi-year' deals with Schwab, Betterment and Robinhood to mine 401(k) assets, and $19 million VC round follows
The New York City 401(k)-rollover startup is using 'Plaid' style APIs startups to unlock $1.65 trillion in all-but-forgotten401(k) assets
August 23, 2024 at 4:25 AM
TradePMR brings on four more ex-TDA Apex executives -- not least Marcel Tsai -- to strengthen Jon Patullo's hand in making 'Fusion' a worthy Veo 2.0
TradePMR is continuing its Dark Horse play to exploit the TD Ameritrade RIA niche with a foot-in-the-door strategy with big, profitable RIAs seeking to multi-custody outside Schwab Advisor Services
August 20, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Altruist drops news on former SSG RIAs -- they must leave Pershing by November for Altruist or third-party custody, catching many by surprise
The Culver City, Calif. custodian called a town hall after negotiations with Pershing fell flat and gamely admits this was not the 'original intent'
