By Mindy Diamond, WealthManagement.com – Control is driving the virtual tug of war between advisors. It’s an annual ritual for our firm: We gather the team together and take a long, hard look at what transpired over the previous 12 months. Working together, we examine deals both large and small, dissect the headlines, hearsay and study the players—all resulting in an annual report that we make available to professionals in the wealth management industry.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – With an increasing number of advisors leaving Goldman Sachs, it’s time to take notice and understand why. I write a lot about changes in the industry landscape—whether it’s a new business model, relevant trends that we’re seeing, or the headline-gripping announcements from firms. What strikes me about the past 12 months is the frequency and speed of transformation that we’re seeing. Even more striking are the courage and determination of advisors to find the best firm or model to suit their business needs, regardless of the obstacles they may encounter.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – As wirehouses battle to retain control of their channel and maximize profit, expect more advisors to vote with their feet in search of freedom and flexibility. Corporate profit seems to driving the bus these days, and as it rolls along, it’s increasing the distance between advisors and the firms they call home. As a result, advisors are often left feeling as though they’re being forced to choose between maintaining their income level or best serving their clients’ interests.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – In the moments when we need to make a critical decision that could alter everything, the “what if” scenarios often rise to the surface, only to stop us dead in our tracks. Then one of two things happens: You make a decision and move boldly on with your life, or fear takes hold.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – With so much choice in terms of business models and affiliations, advisors have little excuse to stay at a firm that no longer serves their clients or their careers in a way that’s anything short of optimal. Yet the day-to-day of business and relationship management often takes priority, and few rarely stop to take a closer look at their firm.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – In a world where ensuring asset growth and gaining scale is important to every firm, you are on the radar of every recruiter and manager in your market. Of course you should accept the invitations from them. It’s flattering to be wanted, and it’s certainly important to get an understanding of what the competition is doing. The only problem with this approach is that it isn’t strategic.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – Asking the right questions and paying attention to the answers is key to ensuring the next step is the right one. The most stressful time for an advisor who’s thinking about leaving their firm is the time “in between”—that is, the time between deciding it’s time to go and actually making the leap. What questions should an advisor ask of the prospective new firm(s)?
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – When LPL announced their purchase of four National Planning Holdings (NPH) firms, it wasn’t just another day at the office for advisors in the independent broker/dealer space. “I feel like I’m riding a wave of disruptive uncertainty,” one IBD advisor said to me. “Are we next?”
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – Many advisors assume it’s a seller’s market, where they’re in the driver’s seat and have a free pass to act without concern for how they come across to the hiring manager. They often barrel forward with the demeanor of someone who’s ready to fight for the best deal on a new car. But being unkind to recruiters is not likely to get you what you want—a positive attitude is more likely to attract positive results.
By Mindy Diamond – WealthManagement.com – In the past several months, some of the major firms have pulled back on the amount of recruiting they’re doing, and recruiting deals have taken a big hit. While the majority of the rhetoric discusses the potential impact of these lower recruiting packages on the advisors considering a move, the bigger impact may ultimately be on the wirehouse advisors who choose to stay put. That is, those who are taking a “wait and see” approach, hoping that their firms’ plans to recruit less will actually benefit them more.
