
Retirement Industry People Moves
Newport purchases PAi; Hub acquires Leading Edge businesses; and more.

Adviser Industry Headcount Shows Solid Growth
Data shared by the Investment Adviser Association shows the number of SEC-registered investment advisers continues to grow at a steady pace, reaching yet another record high at the end of 2019.
PANC 2020: Succession Planning, Mentorship and Practice Diversity
Because of its fundamental importance to American lives and livelihoods, panelists agreed, the workplace is the right place to nurture diversity and inclusion; they also agreed the adviser industry has a whole lot of work to do.

Mentorship, Diversity and Opportunity
Successful advisers say mentorship is a key to solving the industry’s clear and present diversity problem.
Recordkeepers Holding Steady on Staffing—So Far
DCIIA and SPARK surveyed members in early April with regard to the CARES Act and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Clients Must Treat Layoffs and Furloughs Carefully
The IRS may determine that a ‘partial termination’ of a plan has occurred if a company undergoes sizable layoffs—but not furloughs—potentially impacting vesting schedules and other aspects of plan operations.

PANC 2019: Top Advisers in the Hot Seat
Representatives from the 2019 Retirement Plan Advisers of the Year awards program detail their practice outlooks, client services and team structures.

The Next Generation of Producers Is Emerging
Tackling the Industry’s Diversity and Inclusion Problem
Even though African Americans make up about 13% of the United States population, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports this group accounts for only about 7.6% of financial services professionals.

Sourcing Advisory Talent in Unexpected Places

Retirement Industry People Moves
Aegon Asset Management Hires Distribution Head; TRA Acquires Virginia TPA Firm; American Century Investments Names Senior Retirement Strategist; and more.
Retirement Industry People Moves
Horizon Investments names head of portfolio management; FS Investments names chief technology and operations officer; and more.
Ladenburg Launches LIFT University Gender Diversity Program
The LIFT University program encourages women in college to learn about the financial adviser profession, connecting them with experienced mentors and recruiting opportunities.
Bill Beardsley Exits LPL Retirement Partners Business
At the end of the day there just aren’t all that many people working on retirement plans, so it is only natural that firms will compete for and trade talent.
SEC Eyes Equity Compensation Changes for ‘Gig Workers’
The SEC solicited public comment on potential changes to the regulator’s treatment of equity compensation, tied to the emergence of the “gig economy.”
Client Service Q&A Part Two: Practice Differentiation and a Shifting Employment Landscape
Following up on a broad discussion of market volatility, John Diehl, SVP of strategic markets for Hartford Funds, encourages advisers to consider new means to separate their service offerings from the competition; he also offers a sneak peek at some forthcoming research produced in partnership with the MIT AgeLab.
Employers Likely to Ramp Up Student Loan Repayment Benefits
While not a traditional topic for retirement specialist advisers to speak about, experts agree that student loan repayment benefits are a powerful boon to financial wellness programming—and a topic that financial advisers should learn more about.
A Mere 27% of Advisers Have a Formal Succession Plan
When it comes to valuing and transitioning their business, 61% of advisers have a goal for the value, and 48% used a recurring revenue multiple to calculate that goal.
Retirement Industry People Moves
The Standard Adds Retirement Specialist to Denver Office; New Regional SVP for TPA Services at Pentegra; Industry Veteran to Serve as SVP and Sales Director at USICG; and more.
Peers Play a Big Role in Adviser Relocations, Independence Decisions
Almost half of advisers who left their firm moved along with a larger team in 2017, versus 34% in 2012, according to data shared by Fidelity Clearing and Custody Solutions; advisers moving to an independent broker/dealer more often depart as a team versus other movers.