For advisors, 2018 was all about adapting to major transformation. For firms, it was about the battle for control which left advisors at a crossroads of accepting themselves as agents of their firms or crafting creative ways to break free.

Quite a bit of movement characterized this year, especially among top-of-the-food-chain advisors. By our count, 24 $1 billion-plus teams have moved to date, only two of which went to another wirehouse. Leading the uber-competitive recruiting race were First Republic Wealth Management, JPMorgan Securities, RBC Wealth Management and the independent space.