Dan Shaw

The latest Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook (FACO) finds advisor sentiment turned slightly pessimistic again this month as financial planners looked for ways to insulate clients' portfolios from global economic shocks.

Nearly two years into a pilot program designed to test remote inspections of brokers' residential and other remote offices, FINRA feels comfortable enough with the results to push for a permanent policy.

Chris Keller of Fifth Third Bank's National Private Bank knew he had earned a lot of trust when a client told him about a poorly performing side investment that his wife was still in the dark about.

Median sale prices for RIAs have long been ticking upward. But some valuation experts argue that impending retirements could lead to an oversupply of firms on the market — and lower price tags.

CFP® certification holders continue to out-earn their peers, with advisors earning about 11% more on average than non-certified planners.

Gary Carrai draws on his previous experiences as a financial advisor to recognize what sorts of technical advances are most likely to be useful to LPL advisors and clients — and how much change they can tolerate at once.

JPMorgan wants a judge to overturn the FINRA arbitration award it was hit with after firing one of its brokers over expenses stemming from a Super Bowl-timed client meeting.

Some advisors say they already have a hard enough time explaining what a fiduciary is under federal law and that NAPFA's new definition for fee-only planners will only add to the confusion.

Gary Carrai, chief product officer at LPL Financial and a former financial advisor, says the firm is using AI to improve efficiency while avoiding “innovation fatigue” among its more than 32,000 advisors. AI tools already assist with call-center support, meeting summaries, information searches and administrative tasks such as opening new accounts. LPL is also developing a flagship AI platform designed to enhance advisor workflows rather than replace human roles. Carrai argues that AI will augment advisors by automating routine work, allowing them to serve more clients as many advisors approach retirement. The firm is carefully introducing new technologies alongside training and support programs to encourage adoption.

| Doctors have grown accustomed to patients turning to websites like WebMD or, increasingly, AI-driven chatbots for second opinions on their medical decisions.