How Much to Pay for a Client?

Many firms consider incentive compensation for business development. The carrots are there, but the bunnies don’t seem to be running. That warrants a discussion about whether the carrots work in the first place, and how bonuses ought to be structured.

Find Your Inner Bad Guy

Time and again I work with firm owners who are reluctant to be “the bad guy” and deliver the tough advice to their employees or mentees that they aren’t doing as well as they should be. If you want your colleagues to develop into successful professionals, you have the obligation as a mentor to help them recognize and fix their weaknesses.

Millennials and Careers

Firms are dreading the arrival of their first millennial employee. But beyond stereotypes, millennials can bring energy and ambition, and help define and refine a firm’s sense of purpose.

Stop With The Phony Slogans

Firms spend an enormous amount of time crafting vision statements, statements of values and “reasons why.” The result is bland sentences that offer no insights about the actual direction of a firm, the behavior of its people or the quality of the decisions they make.

RIA Mergers and Acquisitions Break Records in 2017

2017 was a record-breaking year for RIA mergers and acquisitions, with M&A transactions seeing a 22 percent increase over their 2016 numbers. Financial Advisor magazine’s Christopher Robbins discusses this trend, as well as a continuing surge in breakaways despite large brokerages leaving the broker protocol.