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People Moves Related to "Oisin's Bits: Vanguard aborts banking effort, because it was more fixated on beating BoA than being itself, an analyst says; SEI is killing it in the Mercer/Russell realm by competing with a retrofitted TAMP-thingy"


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Betterment whistleblowers net $2.5 million • Wealthfront's big pivot leads to profits • Altruist launches tax service • CMOs in at Ascensus, Wealthspire & Joe Duran's Rise • Savvy bags four advisors as Mariner sues it for poaching • Jim Dickson launches RIA stake buyer

Betterment is also bending to RIA needs • Wealthfront is in the black, thanks to cash • Altruist reveals where it makes its money • Rise, Wealthspire and Ascensus each add two executives • Compound hits $2 billion of AUM • CAIS slashes alts prices • BlackRock ups private debt sales to RIAs, through GeoWealth.

June 29, 2024 at 3:00 AM

The exclusive deal SMArtX cinched with Black Diamond is yielding Tiffany results, and now SmartX is hiring to keep up

Growth is not an option for the tiny West Palm Beach concern after its SS&C alliance after AUM all but doubles in recent months requiring more inventory, expertise and staff

April 10, 2019 at 11:05 PM

RIAs keep Goldman Sachs' hopes alive its RIA custody unit will find legs as $55-billion New Edge signs on and Goldman fills vacated No. 2 custody spot

Predictions are aging badly that Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions might get nixed as big-pipeline RIAs dial it in, and Jeremy Eisenstein comes off the executive bench to be Adam Siegler's right hand.

October 11, 2024 at 1:17 AM

Goldman Sachs RIA custody No.2 resigns, adding to an exodus at the unit, but insiders say this time the ship is showing signs of righting itself

Cooper Rey is the biggest loss to date, after handing in his notice Thursday morning, but Goldman also has good news after five recent custody wins.

July 23, 2024 at 1:40 PM

Carson Group legal drama discovered by Omaha media with settlement still on table • DPL annuity sales top $3 billion milestone, two months ahead of schedule • Potomac gets serious about Seinfeld • SSGA raids Schwab for technology executive

Carson case develops • After taking 58 months to sell its first $1 billion of annuities, DPL did its third billion in six months • Potomac's Christopher Norton promises to show fun side of RIAs and thanks F-word (fiduciary) video ban • SSGA has a new COO.

July 19, 2024 at 4:34 AM

Farther exhales then reveals that it has poached 10 advisors from Goldman Sachs since September, not without trepidation about poking the squid

The VC-backed RIA stared down legal perils to grab United Capital defectors but is now in 'good shape,' its CEO says, revealing that it grabbed 32 advisors in the past three quarters bringing it to $3 billion AUM

July 12, 2024 at 10:22 PM

SMArtX is loading up on Envestnet talent as re-peopling rolls on -- post Morningstar disruption -- with two hires from the Berwyn, Pa., TAMP

The West Palm Beach, Fla., TAMP is getting Courtney Robertiello and Jacqueline Burke, and their staggering 29 years of experience for 'growth and innovation,' the company says.

July 4, 2024 at 2:09 AM

SMArtX issues its own press release one day after Morningstar's ominous news about AssetMark deal -- that could yank $12 billion from SMArtX back to APL

The West Palm Beach, Fla., TAMP had the Chicago company as a white knight customer and VC backer but the vendor relationship might be in peril, analysts say

June 26, 2024 at 12:45 AM

Altruist is CTO-less, for now, quasi-intentionally, it says • Ex-rival exec hired to jumpstart cross-selling Orion products to enterprise clients • BlackRock tops Grayscale • Facet outsources estate plans • Advyzon profits off Goldman exodus • Dan Wiener's RIA has new CEO • CFP count tops 100k

Shiralker out at Altruist • Orion gives Trevor Noble his cause • Bitcoin has a new fund king • Software maker benefits from Goldman custody exec. churn • Carson Group denies lawsuit • Merge of Wiener's old shop complete • 100,000th CFP named.

June 7, 2024 at 1:44 AM

In 'forced-evolution,' Robinhood subtracts a co-founder and pivots to credit cards to create captive sales that dried up after its phone-app trading platform and zero-commission novelty act imploded

Co-founder Baiju Bhatt exits management, but Deepak Rao is just getting started as CEO Vlad Tenev goes all in on making Robinhood a credit card company.

March 29, 2024 at 5:02 AM

Breen Blitz: Mercer seals Vanguard OCIO buy • Goldman[Sachs] & Cohen split • PIMCO joins ETF shift • AdvisorEngine-Schwab bond grows • Ellevest milestone • Lonsdale nets new chief • Fidelity leaks data & staff move • Collation wins RIAs • Justin Wisz returns as investor • LPL nets CMO & Tifin a CEO

OCIO sale to Mercer may be Buckley's last act • Goldman's retail lead departs • PIMCO latest to convert mutual funds • Software firm upgrades Schwab data • Krawcheck preaches wisdom of naps • Fidelity hit by data snafu, but D&I on track • New Lonsdale tech shop imminent • Vestorly founder now funding start-ups • Eight month wait for CMO ends at LPL.

March 21, 2024 at 4:41 AM

Tim Buckley sends shockwaves by retiring as Vanguard CEO after adding $750 billion per year during his stay in the executive suite

The 54 year-old lasted just over six years in the job, delivered on targets, but he also made head-scratching decisions and never solved its technology woes

March 1, 2024 at 3:35 AM

Plague of failed hires at strapped RIA firms 'come back to bite them,' making the process of closing bandwidth deficits falter, two new studies show

Turnover rates hover near 50%, Cerulli and Ensemble report, and may be worsening as hires in market of talent scarcity has inevitable backlash.

February 28, 2024 at 3:36 AM

The classic RIA era is sputtering and firms must 'decentralize,' hiring non-advisors to specialize, new Cerulli report shows, or RIAs will 'limp along,' a second consultant says

RIA principals have killed Wall Street with semi-solo shops -- only 35% have 'specialized staff' -- but the comfort zone must evolve for growth

January 13, 2024 at 2:24 AM

Goldman Sachs-Creative Planning deal is bleeding defectors -- 16 more last week, report says -- auguring a 'potential disaster,' analysts warn

Dozens of former 'United Capital' advisors are fleeing at once, but Peter Mallouk is still battling to keep them, and Goldman Sachs may play legal hardball, sources say.

October 4, 2023 at 2:16 AM

Shirl Penney hands over 'front end of the house' to Andrew Marsh as Dynasty reboots -- post-$100-million raise, post-IPO withdrawal and post-Schwab partnering

The Dynasty CEO is handing over sales, custody relations, breakaways and M&A sales to the un-retired Canadian -- and wildly promoting from within.

September 21, 2023 at 1:53 AM

'Spunky' SMArtX finessed its way to $31.5 billion and began a 'freemium' future, but its new CEO is hedging his bets by hiring a TAMP salesman with a track record that glitters like his own

Just 22 days after swapping the SMArtX presidency for the CEO spot, Jonathan Pincus got David Pologe to help sign on new RIAs and brokers and their client assets.

September 15, 2023 at 2:13 AM

Chafing at new 'governance,' Evan Rapoport resigns as SMArtX CEO, 15 months after Morningstar became its largest PE investor and giant customer -- and weeks after pivot toward 'freemium' strategy

The West Palm Beach entrepreneur 'endorses' the stictures that hastened his exit, but he's looking foward to green pastures unfettered by rules that more mature companies employ.

August 17, 2023 at 2:37 AM

Biz Briefs: AdvicePay waives key hiring requirement to land its next CEO • ESG firms may get OK in Oklahoma • eMoney adds new chiefs • CFP Board names new chair-elect • Robinhood cuts more staff

Alan Moore replaces himself with another guy with two respectable titles • eMoney promotes two • Moisand's third in line now known • Robinhood sacks 173 in year-to-date.

July 26, 2023 at 2:34 AM

After 13 years in the Shirl shadow, Ed Swenson gets a mandate to grow a $20-billion corporate RIA as old AIG IBD unit, Advisor Group, reorganizes and seeks new brand identity

The Dynasty veteran is key man in Jamie Price effort to take Advsior Group and finally streamline and up-RIA it for a new era.

June 6, 2023 at 1:46 AM

Biz Briefs: Vanguard's tax-loss harvest yields a caveat• Vermont green with envy ... of red states? • CFP Board spends $12 million on bungee metaphor • BlackRock isn't neutral on Credit Suisse • Women are the Goliath of 'David' in UK finance

Tax-loss harvest gains may have some home assembly required, says Jeff DeMaso • Adrian Johnstone is now in the driving seat at Practifi • CFP Board spending just topped $150 million • and Vermont shares some Texas thinking on ESG investing.

March 25, 2023 at 1:32 AM

Biz Briefs: Fidelity says humans beat robots, even for Gen Z • Joe Lonsdale's Opto starts signing RIA test-drivers • Vanguard launches oddly delayed fund • Wealthbox hires, and Dynasty buys

Fidelity wins Delta Airlines business with sweetener • Opto pairs-up with Riskalyze and Merchant • Moonfare raises $15 million • CAIS bucks real estate trend • Vanguard launches "curious[ly]" delayed fund • WealthBox, Dynasty, and others buy and hire.

March 8, 2023 at 3:28 AM

Biz Briefs: Schwab puts checks for $52 million in mail to robo-RIA customers allegedly misled about cash allocations • BlackRock blacklisted (again) • iShares beats NZAM-exiter Vanguard • Fidelity makes first acquisition in eight years • CFP board realizes Moms don't like CFPs

BlackRock gets Kentucky coal in stocking, and Vanguard keeps skating; iShares inches above -- by 2.8% -- Vanguard's annual net new ETF asset haul; Fidelity takes "natural next step" for stock plan business; new CFP chair outlines plans and the DOJ is set to become a major Robinhood shareholder..

January 13, 2023 at 3:01 AM

RIA recap: Bernie Clark promises to 'be there' for coming TDA-Schwab system snafus; Fidelity gets custody win; Vanguard dishes out big tax bill to investors

Schwab RIA chief petitions for 'patience' for coming merger inconveniences but 'repapering' is no culprit; Carrie Pomerantz gets Schwab board seat; Addepar wins $65 billion AUM contract.

November 3, 2022 at 1:59 AM

Farther struts its startup magic and shows why a $375-million RIA can be worth $50 million -- by getting four advisors to bring books of business just to be part of the enterprise

The San Francisco firm claimed its software was at another level and now advisors are betting careers on it, though not of the UHNW variety imagined

November 2, 2022 at 3:27 AM

Goldman Sachs fought the squid, but the squid won as CEO David Solomon puts the United Capital-Ayco RIA back under the control of house asset managers

Solomon acknowledges he's largely reunifying wealth management and asset management to regain synergies after trying to give the in-house RIA agency.

November 1, 2022 at 4:03 AM

Dimensional Fund Advisors, long the flagship of factor investing, struggles to chart a course as a nimble rival and big foot competitors cut into its market--and exploit its slow move to ETFs

Vanguard, BlackRock and Avantis rattle a complacent Dimensional Fund Advisors with fee cuts and ETF roll outs based on 'smart beta.'

August 9, 2022 at 1:57 AM

UBS bets its 'wealth' future on ex-Schwabbie Naureen Hassan, a corporate digital A-lister, who analysts give a fighting chance to transcend PaineWebber's ossified culture

Still a $2-billion cash-flow cow, the Swiss bank's 6,000-broker, US-based wirehouse is milking aging broker relationships with aging investors but needs a new kind of human presence, empathy, mindset and smarts to draw in Gen Z.

July 16, 2022 at 1:35 AM

Robinhood shares spike 25% after CEO Vlad Tenev finally goes back on the attack against Acorns, Fidelity, and Schwabitrade by adding their tricks and features to its quiver

Semi-commoditized by giants and upstarts alike, the Menlo Park, Calif. firm is extending trading hours and doing its own Acorns-style round-up debit card to show it's in the fight.

March 29, 2022 at 7:19 PM

Goldman Sachs RIA custodian delayed indefinitely, as 'technical details' bedevil launch date

The clock is ticking on the New York City investment bank's strategic imperative to strike while TD Ameritrade and Schwab merge, but Goldman may be facing similar obstacles combining with Folio Institutional.

March 16, 2022 at 2:47 AM

Dynasty Financial hires 'real deal' TD Ameritrade RIA sales talent who left after Schwab deal; he'll again mine for RIAs on Florida's Gold Coast--first big news since IPO disclosed

The St. Peterburg, Fla., technology outsourcer made its 10th Florida hire since start of year but first one on the state's Southeastern Coast

February 17, 2022 at 2:50 AM

Robinhood gets 'brilliant' upper manager -- and a spare CEO -- by nabbing TD Ameritrade's ex-thinkorswim top exec, hopefully to throw a lifesaver to Robinhood's sinking stock

The Menlo Park, Calif., firm nabbed Steve Quirk as first-ever chief brokerage officer to 'bridge the gap between academia and reality.'

January 6, 2022 at 10:33 PM

Wealthfront cedes to four years of investors clamoring for crypto by taking on expensive third-party vendor that Betterment rules out

The Redwood City, Calif., robo-advisor turned a hard 'no' into a soft 'yes' by dealing with Grayscale and its 200 basis-point-plus fees, which its robo rival in NYC -- also without a crypto path -- finds ludicrous.

August 14, 2021 at 2:20 AM

Vanguard Group shows up as 'alpha' disciple with two new fixed-income fund launches as it surpasses PIMCO's $2 trillion with ex-Goldman Sachs partner now calling the shots

The $8 trillion Malvern, Pa. manager owns beta investing, but RIAs are demanding higher income -- hence market timing and cherry picking -- from their fixed-income allocation.

August 10, 2021 at 11:46 PM

Jason Wenk raises $50 million from Vanguard Group and others, and Altruist may soon overtake Pershing's No. 3 RIA custodian spot, the Altruist founder asserts

The Los Angeles founder's disruption blitz involves a mobile-first Robinhood feel and a plug-and-play outsourcing one-stop-shop -- a sweet combination, except that it may not lure many big RIAs, analysts say.

May 20, 2021 at 3:22 AM

Oisín's Bits: Betterment now a robo roll-up with Canadian IPO as catalyst • Insurers risk regulation for COVID-19 coverage delays • Vanguard shifts Asia focus to China's vast mom-pop retail market

Betterment rolls up a robo • The CFA warns insurers over COVID-19 life polices • Vanguard names Chinese fund head to pursue $6 trillion market.

March 5, 2021 at 1:16 AM

Elliot S. Weissbluth, Hightower Advisors mastermind, cashes out and vacates chairman role as Pershing's ex-CEO Lisa Dolly takes a board seat

The Chicago rollup's founder got paid better by doing the second-stage exit and the new cast on the Board also includes Bob Oros ascending to chair and Darrell Horn of Green Square Wealth Management joining

February 19, 2021 at 8:58 PM

Oisín's Doubletakes: Clara Shih returns to Salesforce after 11-year hiatus • Focus reloads for M&A with $500 million debt raise, taking its credit north of $1.5 billion • Goldman Sach's 2020 partners list looks less homogenous -- even 'accretive' of women

Former HearSay CEO returns to her mother corporation • Focus Financial Partners debt levels soar 50% on fresh debt issuance • Goldman adds diversity, but snubs Marcus partnerships

February 6, 2021 at 2:39 AM

Second Betterment exec departs as new CEO Sarah Levy orients to her first month on the job and is confronted by personnel matters

Chief operating officer Dustin Lucien is the latest to leave the New York City robo-advisor, one of at least eight positions open as it prepares a push across multiple business lines to ignite growth.

January 19, 2021 at 6:32 PM

Wealthfront's unlikely tapping of Sheila Bair and Tom Curry signals likely push to gain a bank charter, analysts say

The Redwood City robo-advisor's addition of two renowned former chief banking regulators brings legitimacy and guidance that could lead to a margin-fattening bank charter and help solve the robo-advisor's problem of high client acquisition costs.

December 31, 2020 at 4:37 AM

Jon Stein ousts himself as Betterment CEO and taps Sarah Levy, who joins an exclusive club of top women executives, with a mission -- an IPO

The co-founder of the New York robo-advisor headhunted the ex-Viacom brass through Harvard professors on the down low to ostensibly scale operations.

December 8, 2020 at 5:27 PM

Goldman Sachs lifts two superstar RIA recruiters from Schwab and Pershing, tipping hand on a big push into the RIA space, targeting early 2021 custody launch

The Wall Street B2B superbrand prepares RIA distribution and poaches Richard Lofgren and Bill Dalton -- with a TD Ameritrade hire potentially in the works -- months ahead of a harder launch.

October 6, 2020 at 11:25 PM

Pershing poaches a chief operating officer from Goldman Sachs, citing her experience doing client-onboarding revamps as a key

The Jersey City, N.J., clearing and custody company hired Emily Schlosser to fill the talent gap when Lori Hardwick left in 2017

July 23, 2020 at 11:19 PM

Envestnet nabs Dani Fava to cross-pollinate semi-autonomous units and reap 'financial wellness' as the end product

The Chicago outsourcer has a massive, partially disconnected arsenal of products that CEO Bill Crager is rationalizing into 'wellness' with yet another new unit.

July 23, 2020 at 1:42 AM

Oisín's Bits: Wealthfront drops old mission statement, declares war on institutions and emphasizes banking future • Seeking Utah charter, Edward Jones may become largest bank in US by branch count • After Advent chief leaves, Black Diamond head steps up

Andy Rachleff cans the old 'democratizing' mission statement at his robo; The 14,200 one-man Ed Jones branches may become branch banks; Steve Leivent consolidates power at SS&C.

July 3, 2020 at 1:12 AM

With $4 million VC raise fresh in hand, SMArtX takes next step to shed Black Diamond shadow by hiring a president/COO who casts his own

.Jonathan Pincus took overseen assets at Northern Trust from $3 billion to $70 billion at his Chicago firm and learned about SMartX after in his old role

May 22, 2020 at 9:36 PM

Marc Spilker adds Matt Brinker as chess piece -- and partner -- in what he calls a 'very selective' talent add to build platform-for-RIA platforms outside Wall Street

Merchant Investment Management's executive chairman wants good people good at their job and Brinker likes having a breakaway Goldman partner rather than one captive to the Wall Street giant.

January 15, 2020 at 2:42 AM

Into the PIMCO void, Vanguard re-applies itself to active fixed-income funds and Bond Kings get a bitter taste of what the Peter Lynches of yesteryear learned the hard way

The Malvern, Pa. giant has only 24% of assets invested in bonds but nearly 40% of its portfolio staff are bond-directed as it seeks to exploit a world of high fees driven by fiefdoms and petty monarchs.

January 3, 2020 at 1:33 AM

Executive shake-up and staff hiring binge change Dynasty Financial Partners' talent mix, with Todd Thomson, Scott Welch, Ed Friedman and 12 women as headliners

The St. Petersburg-based producer of 'synthetic RIA scale' will continue to aggressively hire and adjust its talent ranks as it readies for next growth push.

September 24, 2019 at 2:02 AM

Tim Hockey leaves baffled analysts (and everyone else) probing for answers to explain abrupt departure plan as TD Ameritrade CEO; It's about... nothing!

Discount brokers are facing myriad issues as trading fees continue sliding to zero, causing TD's board to seek a more RIA friendly CEO

August 8, 2019 at 6:32 PM

Goldman Sachs closes United Capital deal and Matt Brinker, Joe Duran's wingman, exits with social media swan song on same day

The M&A chief's departure from the Newport Beach, Calif. roll-up may signal that its rolling-up days are over

July 18, 2019 at 6:13 PM

How Aaron Schumm got Goldman Sachs' brightest young star aboard; he jammed in a meeting for a friend and accepted an offer he couldn't refuse--$30 million

The Vestwell CEO gets Rana Yared, the 35 year-old Goldman partner, on his board as part of the $30-million round she made happen

July 2, 2019 at 11:20 PM

As Bob Oros-led HighTower reboots, it bags an ex-Goldman RIA, hires two, makes a CMO imminent, and clarifies mission

The new CEO will need to somehow weave together the debris of the first roll-up run and the new one to the satisfaction of RIAs and the hundreds of people already inside the HighTower umbrella

March 20, 2019 at 11:32 PM

October 19, 2018 at 7:41 PM

BNY Mellon goes on a wild poaching bender as it sets sights on playing a very 2019 game of digital catch-up

Building on Bridget Engle's appointment last year, the New York superbank completes three-hire talent binge, with a money-no-object eye to boosting wealth management

October 18, 2018 at 7:28 PM

Andres Garcia-Amaya taps two industry vets to guide Zoe Financial through the RIA referral market's rocky shoals, which have sunk more than one firm

Backed by a $2 million VC injection from JP Morgan and ex-BlackRock execs, the NYC startup appoints wirehouse veteran Robert Deutsch and Acorns' investment guru Chris Jones to board

October 9, 2018 at 8:55 PM

HighTower gets a new CEO, to be revealed later, as Elliot Weissbluth moves upstairs

Elliot Weissbluth's move upstairs ends an era, as Thomas H. Lee's reign begins in earnest, and Mark Cabezas comes in as M&A head.

September 13, 2018 at 2:21 PM

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