Practice and client management

Industry watchdogs stayed busy trying to root out elder fraud and off-channel communications while plaintiffs lawyers' questioned firms' sweeps policies and regulators' basic authority.

Here's a roundup of tax-related news and insights on politics, practice management, investment strategies, health savings accounts, estate planning and more.

By effectively redesigning their websites, firms can target prospects who may already be searching for the services they provide.

Independent firms are going beyond traditional wirehouse compensation packages to promote collective partnership and reward incoming teams.

Jefferies was among a group of firms cited by the SEC in its recent sweeping investigations into illegal "off channel" communications.

Regulators accused UBS of not doing enough to monitor 22 brokers who generated commissions and sales concessions of syndicate preferred stocks.

The asset sales carry complexity requiring careful thought and expert advice, but they could prove beneficial to some wirehouse breakaways or RIA succession plans.

In time for the season of giving, the new functionality allows those on the philanthropic planning platform to encourage others to join them in supporting causes they care about.

A former veteran UK-based planner and a behavioral analysis expert penned a practical guide for financial advisors on implementing "EI" into their practices.

Health issues. Death. Politics. Some topics make for uncomfortable conversations, but financial advisors need to have them anyway.