Financial Planning

As Merrill Lynch puts its foot to the floor again with recruiting, it is seeing a substantial increase in inflows of new clients assets. But the firm isn’t saying how much of that is being brought through the door by teams drawn from rivals. Instead, it insists recruiting isn’t a “core pillar of our strategy.” #wealthmanagement #earnings #financialadvisors

As AI reshapes wealth management, how can firms make sure they’re not left behind? Industry leaders from J.P. Morgan, Salesforce, Microsoft, Integrated Partners, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and more shared their insights on how to make the right choices for streamlining with AI. #ADVISEAI #advisortech #wealthmanagement #AItools #AI

Kestra Holdings will say goodbye to its majority owner of the past five years while ushering a previous private equity investor back into the fold. Here are the available details of an agreement secured by funds managed by Stone Point Capital to buy a majority interest in the parent company of Kestra Financial, Kestra Private Wealth Services, Bluespring Wealth Partners and the Arden Trust Company. #wealthmanagement #mergersandacquisitions #privateequity

Though many financial advisors help clients plan with philanthropy, they may not be aware of a large business opportunity: endowments. Here’s how to tap into the potentially lucrative channel.? Also in today’s newsletter: The 2025 cost of living adjustment to Social Security payments was released — here’s what advisors are telling clients. Plus: What Michael Kitces has to say about trusting AI tools in wealth management.? #endowments #financialadvisors #SocialSecurity #AI

Financial advisors who are used to working only with retail clients may not know about potential opportunities with endowments in the industry’s institutional channel, experts said. Here’s a guide to breaking into the potential client base at endowments, with insights from Andrew Tudor, CFP?, CAP of Zenith Wealth Partners, Christopher Swansey of Cerulli Associates and Tim Skelly of The Palo Alto Group at Morgan Stanley and Graystone Consulting. #financialplanning #professionaldevelopment #philanthropy

There are two significant reasons for a client to have an updated and funded buy-sell agreement. One is to allow the surviving partner to maintain sole control of the business if one of the owners or partners were to die prematurely or become disabled. The other is to provide an immediately available sum of tax-free dollars to pay the deceased partner's family for their share of the business or practice. Here’s a guide by Henry Montag of The TOLI Center East writing in FP sister publication Accounting Today on the many important tax and estate issues involved with buy-sell agreements. #tax #estateplanning #financialplanning

Merrill’s return to advisor recruiting is gathering steam. The storied wirehouse drew teams from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan this week. LPL Financial in turn recruited from Merrill. And Dynasty Financial Partners landed minority ownership stakes from BlackRock, JPMorgan and Charles Schwab. #wealthmanagement #financialadvisors

Although the popularity of ESG investing has exploded in recent years, it has also had its fair share of detractors. Criticism of ESG investing cuts across the political spectrum, with accusations ranging from “woke capitalism” on one end, to “greenwashing” on the other. Check out the top 10 worst-performing ESG funds of the past decade. Featuring insights from Carlee Griffeth of Envestnet | PMC, Chris Maga?a of IMS Capital Management, Kristin Hull, PhD of Nia Impact Capital, Samuel Adams of Vert Asset Management, John Blair, MBA of Blair Capital Management and Brian Huckstep, CFA, CFP? of Advyzon Investment Management. #esg #sri #sustainableinvesting

Interest in ESG investing has grown exponentially in recent years. In a Morningstar report issued last month, ESG has become more material to over two-thirds of asset owners' investment processes in the previous five years, and every asset owner surveyed is allocating at least a portion of their assets to strategies that take ESG factors into account. Check out the top 10 best-performing ESG funds of the past decade. Featuring insights from Peter Krull, CSRIC? of Earth Equity Advisors, Chris Maga?a of IMS Capital Management, Samuel Adams of Vert Asset Management, Kristin Hull, PhD of Nia Impact Capital and Benjamin S. Lies, MBA of Delphi Advisers. #esg #sri #sustainableinvesting

In the latest installment of The Ladder — a series by Financial Planning that looks at how executives and leaders in the wealth management industry made it to where they are today, and what you can learn from them — Christopher King, CEO and founder of Eaglebrook Advisors, discusses how a college assignment led him down the cryptocurrency “rabbit hole.” #theladder #wealthmanagement #crypto