Practice Management

Open architecture and an uptick in the use of co-fiduciary services are changing the landscape for investment firms, according to Retirement Research Inc.

It’s well known that federal auditors look for red flags to target review efforts, but one service provider says retirement plan advisers should use them for better business...

Investors tend to be more satisfied with the performance of their financial adviser when they’ve been introduced through a family referral, says new research from Spectrem Group.

Meredith Corp. is probably best known for its expansive media and entertainment enterprises, but one human resources (HR) staffer says it’s the company’s retirement plan that is truly...

The small-plan market holds tremendous opportunity for advisers, says Douglas Dubitsky of Guardian Life Insurance Retirement Solutions.

Helping employees attain financial wellness isn’t just another part of the benefits program—it can be downright healthy for a company’s bottom line.

Technology now touches nearly every aspect of an adviser's practice, from relationship management and client retention to communication, referrals and client interaction.

New investment services technologies will strain existing financial advice models, but the same factors should continue to define who succeeds in the marketplace.

When recruiting, don’t automatically look past wirehouse advisers, says Neal Simon of Highline Wealth Management, because they might be a firm’s value add. 

A practice is more than just a way to collect a paycheck, says Jeff Concepcion. Many advisers think of it that way, but when they want to monetize...

It’s a phenomenon unique to the retirement planning advice industry that even those participants who make good investment decisions often don’t know they’re making good decisions.

Advisers who team up and use outside specialists provide higher client satisfaction and achieve greater returns, says Bellaria Jimenez of MetLife Solutions Group.

The delicate issue of clients who need to balance their own financial needs in retirement with the desire to help grownup children is a potentially loaded topic for...

If advisers want to score satisfaction points with their female clients, they need to deliver holistic advice and become active listeners.

CEFEX designations are gaining more widespread adoption, and some say the certification process yields valuable insights about their own firms.

Think people are either pre- or post-retirement? Think again. Before and after retirement is a spectrum of lifestyles and backgrounds, research says, and all types need specific messaging...

Some retirement plan advisers strive to offer complete, holistic advice.

Low balance limits and initial investment hurdles in the President’s “myRA” proposal will likely restrict the number of service providers bidding on related contracts with the Treasury.

Expanding health care costs will likely force retirement plan advisers to consider new ways of protecting client assets.

Nearly half of the average financial adviser’s book of business is made up of individual retirement accounts (IRAs), says investment analytics firm Cerulli Associates.