LPL Moving Commonwealth Advisors Off Advisor360° Tech Platform
LPL Financial announced it will migrate the 2,900 advisors acquired from Commonwealth Financial Network off the proprietary Advisor360° workstation onto LPL’s ClientWorks platform. The existing Advisor360 contract expires Monday, after which LPL has no obligation to maintain the service. The transition is slated for the fourth quarter, with at least one Commonwealth advisor expected to go live on ClientWorks in mid‑November. Advisor360’s leadership acknowledges the loss of its flagship client and warns of potential revenue challenges.
Deals & Moves: Carson Brings on LPL, Farther Advisors
Carson Group, a $58 billion registered investment advisor, announced the acquisition of an LPL Financial team managing about $320 million in assets and added Ryan Roloff from Farther Advisors with roughly $90 million AUM. Focus Financial Partners disclosed a deal to purchase EverNest Financial...
When Federal Tax Breaks Stop at the State Line
Federal tax incentives such as qualified small business stock (QSBS) have been expanded, but states are increasingly refusing to follow the federal rules. New York’s withdrawn proposal, along with enacted decouplings in Maine, Oregon, and D.C., illustrates a growing “conformity...
Seven Hidden Pitfalls of Estate Planning for the Ultra-Wealthy
The article outlines seven hidden pitfalls that ultra‑wealthy families face when crafting estate plans, from over‑early wealth transfers to a false sense of exemption from tax rules. It highlights emerging risks such as relying on AI tools that can erode...
Bill Crager to Lead New Company, Field
Former Envestnet CEO Bill Crager is returning to the helm as chief executive of Field, a new wealth‑tech firm created from iAltA’s recent acquisitions of BridgeFT and Precept. The company’s core offering is a "wealth intelligence layer" that unifies public‑...
Carson Group Launches Estate Planning Push
Carson Group, a $58 billion wealth manager, launched an estate‑planning capability for its more than 600 advisors, providing education, software and specialist support. The service targets both upper‑high‑net‑worth and mass‑affluent clients, using tools from Luminary, Trust & Will, Encore Estates, NetLaw and...
Judge Tightens Restrictions on Prime Capital in Edelman Lawsuit
A federal judge expanded a preliminary injunction that bars Prime Capital Financial from soliciting Edelman advisors and clients, after finding evidence of a coordinated poaching scheme. Edelman alleged that two former advisors were encouraged to resign on a Friday, take...
A Century of Stock Market Winners—And Why Most Stocks Failed to Deliver
Hendrik Bessembinder’s 2026 century‑long study of every U.S. common stock from 1926‑2025 shows that while the market created roughly $91 trillion in shareholder wealth, 96% of individual stocks underperformed Treasury bills and only 3.7% of firms generated all that value. The...
RIA Edge Podcast: Building a Full-Service Financial Firm with Marty Bicknell
In the latest RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong interviews Marty Bicknell, CEO of Mariner Wealth Advisors, about the firm’s rapid rise to become one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisers. Bicknell details a disciplined acquisition strategy that prizes cultural...
AI Creates Further Risk in the 'Wild West' Of Finfluencers
FINRA regulators warned that the convergence of generative AI tools and social‑media financial influencers—so‑called “finfluencers”—creates heightened fraud risk for self‑directed investors. At its annual conference, Morgan Stanley compliance leader Megan Powers highlighted how AI models like ChatGPT can absorb influencer...
Deals & Moves: Beacon Pointe Acquires $360M Female-Founded RIA
Beacon Pointe Advisors, a Newport Beach RIA with roughly $63 billion in assets, acquired Financially In Tune, a $360 million, female‑founded firm based in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The deal marks Beacon Pointe’s sixth team addition on the East Coast in two years and...
Edelman Financial Engines Names New CFO, Restructures Wealth Planning Team
Edelman Financial Engines (EFE) appointed Steve Gaven as chief financial officer effective June 1, succeeding Suzanne van Staveren. The firm also reorganized its wealth‑planning division into three senior‑leadership pillars—client experience, planner growth, and wealth strategy—appointing Ro Mehrotra, Jason Karmelek and Amin Dabit...
Evaluating the Benefits Of Trump Accounts
Congress enacted a new individual retirement account, dubbed the Trump Account, in 2025 to give children under 18 a head start in wealth building. The pilot program guarantees a $1,000 federal contribution for every U.S. citizen born between 2025 and...
Navigating State-Only QTIP Trusts in Decoupled States
The article highlights the looming $84 trillion Great Wealth Transfer and stresses that successful multigenerational planning requires more than tax‑saving structures—it demands family governance, heir education, and purposeful philanthropy. It outlines advanced tools such as dynasty trusts, intentionally defective trusts, and...
Help Your Business Owner Clients Create an Exit Plan
Business owners often skip formal exit planning, leaving them vulnerable to unfavorable sale terms. A case study of a profitable laundry business illustrates how a $2 million contract shrank to a $1.5 million net after taxes, ultimately failing to sustain retirement and...