by Patrick M. Kelly | Oct 29, 2013 | Compliance, SEC
The SEC has sanctioned three investment advisory firms and their officers for repeatedly ignoring problems with their compliance programs, the agency announced last week. Andrew Bowden, director of the SEC’s National Exam Program, stated: “After SEC examiners...
by Patrick M. Kelly | Oct 25, 2013 | Commonwealth Financial Network, Workplace
For the third time in a row, J.D. Power and Associates ranked Commonwealth Financial Network as having the “highest in Independent Advisor satisfaction among financial investment firms.” Commonwealth achieved the highest score in seven areas of advisor satisfaction—...
by Patrick M. Kelly | Oct 23, 2013 | Breakaway Brokers, Independents
[pullquote]Advisors now need to step up their game[/pullquote]Independents were long seen as having an easy growth path in the Bay Area market, in part because their non-corporate business model appealed to the tech entrepreneurs generating so much of the region’s...
by Patrick M. Kelly | Oct 17, 2013 | Financial Services Industry
“One of the most pronounced trends we’ve seen in recent years is the call for wealth to have a productive impact on our environment, our communities, and our society broadly, in addition to earning an investment return," says Andrew Sieg, the head of the...
by Patrick M. Kelly | Oct 14, 2013 | Financial Advisors, Technology
“With advisors’ business models constantly evolving, the pressure on independent broker-dealers to continually enhance their technology platforms has never been more intense. From portfolio management to client relationships, advisors are demanding that competitive...