Is It Time to Tap the Helmet? Before You Accept the Offer, Make Sure the Call Is Right
Baseball has always been a game of inches. A pitch catches the edge of the plate. A batter starts walking to first. The catcher frames the pitch. The umpire makes the call, and for a moment, everybody has to live with it. This year, baseball is leaning harder into getting those calls right. With the […]
Not Even 550% Is Enough To Move To This BD
Let’s be honest with each other. When a firm offers you 550% of trailing 12-month revenue to walk in the door, they’re not telling you how much they want you. They’re telling you how much they need you. UBS is reportedly doing exactly that right now: 550% for advisors generating $7 million or more in […]
Watch Where Firms Place Their AI Bets
Cetera recently announced that its Advanced Time Segmentation solution won the 2026 BISA Technology & Innovation Award. That’s good for their PR department and nice recognition for the people building the technology. But advisors can be forgiven for caring less about the trophy and more about what it reveals. Where is Cetera placing its AI […]
Right Now Is A Terrible Time To Move
You opened your browser this morning and got the full treatment. Military conflict in the Middle East. Gas prices climbing. And on top of everything, it’s tax season. It’s a lot. And if you are a financial advisor who has been quietly thinking about a transition, mornings like this make it easy to table the […]
Wells Unchained. What Now?
Think about what it takes to rebuild a reputation from the inside out. Not a rebrand. Not a new logo. Not a press release telling the world things are different now. An actual, years-long, grinding rebuild. New leadership. New processes. New controls. One regulatory order at a time, until the last one is gone. That’s […]
What The Whopper Can Teach Advisors
When was the last time you had a Burger King Whopper? I know, I know. We are all supposed to be getting healthier. Fast food burgers may not be on your radar anymore. But think back to the last time you were on the road, hungry, and fast food was your only option. Odds are […]
If You’re Serious About Growth, Measure This
Most advisors treat a valuation like a “someday” document, something you pull out when you’re ready to sell or hand off the practice. That’s not what it is. A valuation is a measurement tool. It’s how you put a stake in the ground, track progress, and make sure the changes you’re investing in are actually […]
The Lesson Behind LPL’s Layoffs
Spring has come early here in the Pacific Northwest. I walked past neighbors already pruning trees. It looked harsh, branches on the ground and clean cuts on the trunk. But good pruning isn’t damage. It’s maintenance. Done at the right time, it removes what’s weak and directs energy to stronger growth. That image came back […]
Walking Before You Run
Today is parade day here in Seattle, which means the city feels a little louder, a little prouder, and a little more united than usual. Winning does that. Rooting for winners does too. And for anyone who watched the big game, the most interesting part of the Seahawks’ win was not the defensive dominance or […]