Benjamin F. Edwards snapped up nine advisors and opened two offices as it continues to build out its footprint.The St. Louis-based firm, which now has 30 offices, opened its third Florida location with an office in Destin and made inroads into Alabama with a new branch in Birmingham. It also added an advisor to its White Plains, N.Y., and Chattanooga, Tenn., location. The new Birmingham office will be led by branch manager and senior vice president Steven S. Phillips. He has over 20 years of experience, most recently at Wells Fargo. A legacy A.G. Edwards advisor, Phillips came to Wells Fargo in 2008 through a series of mergers. He is joined by Thomas Luttrell, who is a member of the Luttrell Financial Group. Luttrell, who has more than 25 years of experience, is also a legacy A.G. Edwards advisor and joins as vice president – investments. They will be assisted by financial associate Ashley Brook.The other two advisors on the Luttrell Financial Group join in the firm’s new Destin office. James Luttrell Jr., Thomas’ brother, has nearly three decades of industry experience and will be a vice president of the office. He is a legacy A.G. Edwards advisor moving from Wells Fargo.

via Benjamin Edwards Adds 9 Advisors, 2 Offices | On Wall Street.

Hilliard Lyons has bolstered its ranks in its headquarter city of Louisville, Ky., with the addition of two advisors with $200 million in assets.

The advisors previously managed $100 million each with Raymond James Financial Services, the franchisee advisor branch of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based firm.

Both advisors, Steven J. Smith and Sean Miranda, have 17 years of financial services experience, according to Hilliard Lyons.

via Hilliard Lyons Nabs 2 from Raymond James | On Wall Street.

D.A. Davidson has agreed to merge with Los Angeles-based Crowell Weedon in a deal that will create one of the largest regional brokerage firms on the West Coast.The merger, which was announced to advisors at both firms Wednesday morning, will add some 147 advisors and 14 offices from Crowell Weedon to the existing 320 financial consultants at D.A. Davidson. Combined assets under management will total $43.5 billion. The firms, which are both privately held, did not disclose the price of the deal.“This transaction marks D.A. Davidson’s largest partnership to date, and is a great fit given the individual investor focus and complementary geographies and cultures of our businesses,” Bill Johnstone, chairman and CEO of Davidson Companies, said in a statement. “Aligning Davidson with such a well-respected firm allows us to build on the strengths and reputations of both companies and makes sense for clients, shareholders and employees.”

via Crowell Weedon to Merge with D.A. Davidson | On Wall Street.

Ameriprise launched into spring with a spate of new recruits from the four wirehouses and LPL.In the past month, the Minneapolis-based firm has added seven top advisors to its employee division and one to its independent channel. On Friday, industry veteran Norman Howarth moved to Ameriprise from LPL in Charlestown, Mass. He comes with 26 years of industry experience and managed $195 million.In Virginia Beach, Va., Ameriprise snapped up Bill Patton from Morgan Stanley. Patton, who started at Painewebber in 1980, joined Smith Barney in 1992 and remained at that firm through a series of mergers until last week. He manages $150 million in client assets.Jay Geaslen joins Ameriprise from Merrill Lynch. He moved into the firm’s Atlanta office in mid-April and has $194 million in assets. Geaslen began his career in 1991 and had been at Merrill Lynch since 1999, according to records with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

via Ameriprise Adds 8 in Spring Recruiting Spree | On Wall Street.

Wealth Managers Jumping Ship to Avoid Disclosure of Signing Bonusesby Beecher Tuttle4 days agoFinancial advisers are rushing to switch employers before a new regulation requiring them to disclose signing bonuses kicks in. Once the new rule is in place – likely next year – wealth managers who accept six- and seven-figure signing bonuses at a new firm will have to disclose their windfall to clients.The details of the new regulation being developed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in the U.S. aren’t yet clear, and FINRA declined to comment. Recruiters and wealth managers expect advisers to accelerate their job moves in the fourth quarter of 2013. “It will accelerate people moves for sure,” said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, a Virginia-based advisory firm. “If you a recruiter, you could not have had a better situation. Advisers will try to jump in under the line.”

via Wealth Managers Jumping Ship to Avoid Disclosure of Signing … | Job News & Advice | eFinancialCareers.

J.P. Morgan Securities announced Wednesday it has added eight advisors to its offices in Boston, New York City, and Florham Park, N.J.The advisors bring a combined $745 million in client assets to the firm, and increase the total number of advisors to 455 as of February 28.“We are taking every opportunity to add top talent in growing markets, and these new advisors bring with them deep experience in the industry and in their markets,” Greg Quental, CEO of J.P. Morgan Securities said in a statement. “The combination of our boutique approach with the extraordinary depth of resources we offer continues to prove attractive to advisors and clients alike.  We are excited to welcome these new advisors to the firm as we grow our business across key markets.”

More Info: J.P. Morgan Securities Expands Advisor Force | On Wall Street.

Stifel Nabs Wells Fargo Team with $1 Billion AUM

Stifel has opened two new offices in the northwest with the addition of an 11-member team that managed more than $1 billion in assets at Wells Fargo.

The advisors, who operate under the name RMG Group, will open two offices in Bellevue, Wash., and Portland, Ore.

“The quality of their business and the integrity of their long-standing reputation in Washington and Oregon solidifies our commitment to the Northwest,” the Western Region director, John Lee, said in a statement. “I am excited about the message this announcement sends to other advisors in the region – Stifel is open for business.”

More Info Stifel Nabs Wells Fargo Team with $1 Billion AUM | On Wall Street.