Now May Be the Time to Switch Firms | On Wall Street

 

Switching firms can be an uphill battle. Its never an easy task, no matter what your reasons are for jumping to the firm next door. You can be making the best decision for your clients and your business, but crossing 10,000 ts and dotting 10,000 is can be quite daunting, even for the most astute advisors and their transition teams. Simply said, its not an easy process.Ever since I entered the recruiting business in 1994, there has been talk that FINRA should regulate upfront bonuses or accelerated payouts. But I fear such regulation has never been closer than it is today. With compliance officers running amok with expanded powers and responsibilities, the privacy of the financial advisor is now in jeopardy. Various recruiters have come out to say that it will all be fine. I say, not so fast!If, in fact, FINRA requires disclosure of all checks of more than $50,000, an already complicated matter will become even more complicated. If you have contemplated making a move in the next three years or so, do it now, before regulators turn you and your book into a sitting duck just waiting to be sued by anybody who may be having a down year.

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J.P. Morgan Securities Recruits 3 | On Wall Street

J.P. Morgan Securities has bolstered its wealth management business with the addition of three seasoned advisors from rival firmsThe boutique brokerage has added industry veterans Kim Fonseca, Brian McAuliffe and Chris Foster to three of its 19 offices, which focus on providing wealth management services to high net worth clients. The three previously oversaw a combined $400 million in client assets. With 29 years of experience, Fonseca joins J.P. Morgan Securities’ Palm Beach, Fla., office. He had previously been with Morgan Stanley having started his career with Citigroup in 1993 according to public registration records with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. He will report to regional director Rick Penafiel.

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A social-media-sharing guide for financial advisers – InvestmentNews

In my work with financial advisers and firms, I have learned that one of the biggest obstacles to engaging in social media is knowing what to share on social networks.Related to this story »A social-media-sharing guide for financial advisersTweet-challenged? Bulk of advisers still dont use social media for business Newsletter Sign-upINTech AdvertisementAn adviser has built social-media profiles, and they look fantastic. Now what?Here is how to get unstuck and what to do next.It is important to be strategic about social-media sharing and map out a plan that is consistent with an advisers goals. For example, if the goal is to attract physicians to a practice, an adviser should optimize social-media sharing with content that is relevant to physicians.

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UBS Advisers Hit $1M Average Productivity Goal in U.S. – WSJ.com

Since Robert McCann joined UBS more than three years ago, it has focused on having a smaller but more productive brokerage force than its rivals at Wall Street’s other major brokerages. Its headcount of about 7,000 is roughly half that of Bank of America Corp.’s BAC +3.40% (BAC) Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley’s MS +1.54% (MS) Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Wells Fargo WFC +0.92% & Co.’s (WFC) Wells Fargo Advisors.

Bari Goodman

Mr. McCann, who was elevated to chief executive of UBS Group Americas roughly a year ago, for years has said his ultimate goal for average productivity was $1 million per adviser.

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Stifel Nabs Wells Fargo Vet | On Wall Street

Stifel Nicolaus has bolstered its presence in the Southeast with the addition of a 26-year industry veteran to its Melbourne, Fla. Office.

The firm added former Wells Fargo advisor Paula Savage as a senior vice president at the beginning of this month, according to registration records with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Savage is a legacy A.G. Edwards advisor who had been with that firm since 1987 and before moving to Wells Fargo through a series of acquisitions. She will be reuniting with a former colleague, Elaina Garvin, with whom she had partnered for 15 years at A.G. Edwards. Together, they form the Garvin Savage Wealth Management group and oversee more than $100 million in client assets.

More info : Stifel Nabs Wells Fargo Vet | On Wall Street.

LPL to reduce head count in 3Q – InvestmentNews

 

The firm would not discuss how many of the firm’s 2,900 employees are at risk, but in a letter last month to the independent broker-dealer’s 13,000 registered representatives and investment advisers, chief executive Mark Casady alluded to the downsizing to come.

“Please also know that we value all of our employees and are taking great care to communicate in a proactive, transparent manner, and to treat anyone affected with the utmost respect,” he wrote. “We do not anticipate any jobs will be impacted until the third quarter this year.”

The move is part of a broader plan that includes some outsourcing, as well as allocating more dollars to technology.

More Info- LPL to reduce head count in 3Q – InvestmentNews.

Morgan Stanley Adds 4 Wells, JPMorgan Reps; Commonwealth Grabs 9 LPL Advisors

 

Morgan Stanley (MS) said Monday that it recruited four advisors from rivals with $434 million in client assets, while the independent broker-dealer Commonwealth attracted nine reps from its largest competitor with some $255 million.

Calvin Mason recently joined the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management office in Pueblo, Colo., from Wells Fargo (WFC). Mason has had yearly fees and commissions of more than $1.4 million and total client assets of $144 million.

The Sheresky/Samsen Group—including Steven Sheresky, Jeffrey Sheresky and Jeffrey Samsen—moved to Morgan Stanley in Midtown Manhattan from JPMorgan Chase (JPM). The team had prior assets of about $290 million.

All three advisors joined Bear Stearns Private Client Services in the mid-1980s, before it became JPMorgan Securities. They now report to complex manager Ben Firestein.

More Info: Morgan Stanley Adds 4 Wells, JPMorgan Reps; Commonwealth Grabs 9 LPL Advisors.