Articles / Resources

Could Allianz Chief Buy Old Firm?

16:07 23 April in In the News by rafferty

by Jim Hammerand and featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal April 20, 2012 It could be a coincidence that Walter White has become CEO of Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America while Woodbury Financial Services Inc., the securities broker/dealer he helped build, looks for a new owner. Or it could be fate. Industry observers see Golden Valley-based Allianz as a likely buyer of Woodbury Financial. However, in his first interview as Allianz’s chief executive, White carefully considered his words when asked whether his firm should — or would — acquire the Twin Cities’ third-largest broker/dealer by revenue. “I obviously have an affinity for Woodbury. It’s a quality firm. I have no doubt they will find a buyer,” he said. He also discussed his time at Woodbury Financial, the challenges now before him, and the future of...

Call In… The Specialists

19:57 20 April in In the News by rafferty

April 2, 2012 by Jerry Gleeson, Registered Rep Niches are beautiful As markets change and the financial advisory industry demands new services, advisor teams that have the right skills and are paying attention can position themselves as the next go-to practice. “There's this push for specialization in different areas of your practice,” says Ryan Svatora, whose UBS practice catering to gay clients has seen growth as the gay marriage debate has intensified in recent years. (See profile, page 36.) “More and more firms are beginning to roll out niche marketing services, not only to the LGBT community but to other niche markets as well.” Historically, advisory teams looked for FAs whose skill sets complemented gaps in their own — for example, seeking to add a financial planner or someone who knows his way around...

FINRA to Restructure BrokerCheck, Giving Investors More Power

18:49 10 April in In the News by rafferty

April 2012 By Melanie Waddell and featured in Investment Advisor Proposed changes include not only unifying BrokerCheck and the SEC’s IAPD system, but also divulging broker/advisor test scores Brokers and advisors take note: the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) plans to revamp BrokerCheck to not only make it easier for investors to track down information about their broker—including “unifying” the search capabilities for BrokerCheck and the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database—but to also expand the types of information investors can get about their broker. Until recently, FINRA noted that BrokerCheck was the only regulator that provided a comprehensive, online tool that enabled investors to check the backgrounds of financial service industry professionals. In 2010, the SEC expanded the IAPD database—which had previously only included information on investment advisor firms—to include information on investment advisor...

1,600 Woodbury reps await fate after Hartford purge

15:42 26 March in In the News by rafferty

March 25, 2012 by Bruce Kelly and featured in Investment News A battle is in store for the 1,600 affiliated representatives and financial advisers at Woodbury Financial Services Inc., the independent broker-dealer that is one of the businesses that The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. last week said it plans to sell as part of a wholesale restructuring of the company. On one side, The Hartford and Woodbury's management will be imploring its reps to stay put and thus preserve its asking price. On the other, rival broker-dealer firms in dire need of growth will be trying to lure them away. A DISTRACTION TO ADVISERS The Hartford's announcement that it is selling the broker-dealer is “unfortunate for those [advisers] who just want to do business,” said Ernest Sampson, a former Woodbury adviser who left the firm...