Instead of lashing out at broker-dealers, the SEC should begin to examine how the brokerage industry has moved ahead of the curve to re-shape recruitment packages and to tie performance and asset retention to bonuses....

Marie Swift outlines the options available to advisors and the key points worth considering when making a move....

After the financial turmoil of 2008, the consultancy Cerulli predicts more than $800 billion will be transferred between distributors in 2009 as a result of advisors changing firms. ...

But it appears that job losses are moderating with many companies beginning to get back into hiring mode for the fall and next year for sales positions....

What will the market do next? There are many indicators, and about as many interpretations of those indicators, investors use in an attempt to predict the market’s next move. ...

Aside from how investors feel about stocks and the economy, there are additional data points which offer a strong clue about the market’s future....

State Street Global Advisors has just launched the SPDR Wells Fargo Preferred Stock ETF (PSK). The new fund is linked to the Wells Fargo Hybrid and Preferred Securities Aggregate Index, which includes around 160 securities. ...

Investors interested in natural resources stocks have another commodity ETF to choose from. The Thomson Reuters/Jeffries CRB Global Commodity Index Fund (CRBQ) from ALPS Funds has just debuted. ...

A chat with John Olsen, CLU, ChFC, AEP, of Olsen Financial Group in Kirkwood, Missouri, about how trends in behavioral finance and financial planning are affecting software and how advisors can best take advantage of these developments. ...

The number of retirees who say they are worried about financial security has more than doubled in the past year, and many are tightening budgets or seeking professional financial advice. ...

A conversation with John Ohmer, CFP, founder of YBR Financial Advisors in San Francisco and affiliated with LPL Financial, about his practice. ...

Recent declines in portfolio values have left retirees stuck between reducing withdrawals and increasing the risk of portfolio depletion. But some may want to consult with an advisor about accessing that equity through a reverse mortgage....

Discusses outsourcing, coaching and advisors’ likely keys for future success...