Stifel Goes On The Hunt; Amongst Suitors For Goldman Biz

stifel goes on the hunt

Numerous prominent players in the financial landscape have emerged as potential suitors for Goldman Sachs’ mass affluent wealth division, Personal Financial Management (PFM), as per sources well-acquainted with the situation. The list of potential bidders encompasses a substantial registered investment advisory firm, a collection of independent broker-dealers, and the regional brokerage firm, Stifel Financial. Goldman […]

Guess Who’s Back?

The financial services industry has been seemingly dominated by the rise in the number of RIAs, especially over the last few years. As a result, the major wirehouses, while still firmly established and prevalent, were more or less considered on the endangered or soon-to-be-extinct list following the impact of the Great Financial Crisis. While it […]

LPL Feasts On Another ($320M) Merrill Team Escaping The Limping Herd

lpl continues to feast recruiting

LPL Financial has recently welcomed a proficient advisory team, Veritas Legacy Wealth, to its 1099 model. This team made the transition from Merrill Lynch, where they managed approximately $320 million in assets encompassing advisory, brokerage, and retirement plans. Operating under the banner of Veritas Legacy Wealth, this team is situated in Amarillo, Texas, as confirmed […]

‘Perfect Storm’ For Recruiting Deals Continues Unabated; Not Slowing Down

perfect recruiting storm continues

Anyone remember the recruiting pause about five years ago associated with the possible move to a fiduciary standard industry wide? Feels like ancient history, doesn’t it? Yes, yes it does. Fast forward a half decade or so and what does the landscape look like now. Client assets have more than doubled over that timeframe; meaning that books are beefy […]

LPL Moves To Zero

LPL with a complete game changer

ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER: LPL announced that it is lowering its Strategic Asset Management Pricing (SAM) on a sliding scale to 0 basis points depending on an advisor’s assets under management (AUM).  You might want to read that back to yourself slowly…ZERO. Note: This fee is known by other names at other firms, including Global Admin Fee […]

Embracing Opportunities In The Growing RIA Space

embracing ria opportunities

In the backdrop of a challenging 2022 economic landscape, where both stocks and bonds experienced unprecedented declines, the financial planning industry faced a significant decrease in Assets Under Management (AUM). Yet, despite these challenges, Registered Investment Advisors provided a highlight amidst the difficult times in the way of organic growth.  Schwab recently released their 17th […]

Record Recruiting Quarter For LPL

RECORD QUARTER FOR LPL

Exciting things are happening over at LPL. While many of their industry peers are hiding their broker headcounts in their quarterly reports, LPL is taking the opposite approach and highlighting theirs. The firm is boasting another record quarter for recruiting, ending Q2 on a high note.  LPL, the largest independent broker-dealer, hit a record number […]

Three Steps to Take When Your BD Has Been Acquired

M&A activity in the advisor space has reached a feverish pace of late, leaving many advisors who are part of a firm being acquired with a critical question: “Do I go to the acquiring firm, or do I explore other options?” While the tendency may be for an advisor to think they must, or should, […]

Bank of America Gift Wraps Another Reason For Big Teams To Bail On Merrill Lynch

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Bank of America just got caught ‘pulling a Wells Fargo’; opening accounts on behalf of customers without their permission. Merrill Lynch has been every wirehouse and independents pipeline for the past five years, and this news isn’t going to slow that down. In a decisive move […]